How about those days when we just don’t feel like it. Feel like what, you might ask? Anything. Literally I don’t feel like doing anything anymore. The house is a mess, the kids are out of control, I’m a mess and the world is falling apart. Ever been there? There right now?
I know 2020 has been a bit of a mess, well actually it’s been a huge mess, but is it really any different than years past? Last year my kids were a mess. Last year my house was a mess. Yep, and last year I was a mess. Honestly it feels like just a repetitive cycle that is constantly draining, and I’m running out of ways to get a refill. Wouldn’t it just be nice to wake up tomorrow and be greeted with good news, positive attitudes and breakfast in bed. The kids quietly moving through the hall as they studiously get their beds made, chores done, and eat breakfast without the kitchen looking like a war zone.
We peacefully rise from slumber and are excited about the day ahead, the adventures to be had, and the absolute joy of teaching our kids in the home and having that precious time with them. Oh, and the coffee is plentiful and hot, and there might be a box of donuts on the counter that have no calories but taste like a dream.
Ha! I think even in this scenario we would find a way to get bored of it, tired of it, and or annoyed. Why? Because that’s what we do! At least that’s what I do. So, how do we live in this very imperfect society, in this very imperfect home, in this very imperfect skin, and make it through? How do we power through the drudgery, especially when we just don’t have the strength left to do it.
Great question! When you find the answer, please pass it along.
Like all things in life that are worth doing, this is tough. This is sometimes soul crushing. But we can make it through, and we will. There is only one source of unending strength and life that we can pull from; and if we aren’t actively drawing from that well, how can we really complain? We have been given the source of all joy, happiness, contentment and power and it is within our grasp on a daily basis. Yet, if you are like me, we often trade that well for things that will just take from us, and ultimately leave us in want. Sometimes, access to this greatness can become rote, and dull, and boring and therefore we ignore it. Wondering all the while why life is getting out of control, and what the heck is happening. Why are we simultaneously so easily entertained, and yet so easily driven to boredom. We spend so much time looking at images and memes and videos, hoping that the next one might fill us up a little. A little joy, some happiness, and maybe something else. Then we find ourselves on the back end of that time, hours later, with nothing of real value at all.
So, what about that well. When I ignore it, I get drained very quickly. When I seek it, I am fit to burst. But, how do I handle the times in between where it feels like work? Well, how about that? Don’t we spend hours upon hours pursuing things we care about? We don’t always love work, or our pursuits, but we continue pursuing them; and they offer only temporary relief from our desires. What if we conditioned ourselves to continue to come to the well, even when we don’t want to be there, but we know the value it has to offer us. Think of the days we might have, and the relationships we might discover as we pulled back from the edge of wanting to give up entirely as we are drained to the last drop.
Today, maybe we start the day at the well, and end the day where we started. Drawing life from the only source that offers it, fully, continually, and without pretense; Jesus Christ.