blessing, not burden

I will first apologize for not staying true to my word.

I initially said I would write about simple, practical health tips that were light and easy to read and I look back on these past few months and realize that I always seem to find a way to take a simple thought onto many lengthy tangents.

I did, however, keep my word with my physical challenge this month as I sought to increase my energy by eating my largest meal in the morning and eating throughout the day and I will share that the results are awesome!

I start my day with an incredible protein shake which is packed with amazing nutrients and 23 grams of protein, add a scoop of greens for the day, and eat a protein bar a few hours later.  By 9:00 AM I have already had 40 grams of protein and my daily servings of greens and feel incredible!  I then continue eating snacks throughout the school day.  Yogurt, string cheese, quinoa salads, fruits, crackers, and veggies every couple of hours seem to keep me going during the business of life with six year olds.  I then enjoy a nice big early supper while saving just enough space to have a evening snack.  I really do have more energy and enjoy this lifestyle of eating.  I was rarely hungry all month because as soon as I would feel the first inkling of hunger I would find a snack to keep that metabolism turning my fuel into energy.

There.  Something practical.

Now onto the fun stuff, for me anyways.  My latest thought tied to increasing energy is to shift my thinking about the daily tasks in my life.  So much of life is mundane, and I often get stuck in a rut of doing the same things again and again and again, either by choice or demand, and eventually shifting into "autopilot," which is a gear that has the potential to drain the energy right out of me.  

I will admit that even something as precious as rocking my daughter to sleep each night can become a "burden" in my mind when I allow myself to get mentally taken away by the endless demands of dishes and laundry and meals and work and emails and relationships and marriage.  So the other night when I was rocking Eden to sleep and she was staring at me, wide awake way past her bedtime, I was getting a little frustrated and feeling overwhelmed at the thought of needing to do this for 20-30 minutes before she would release the struggle to stay awake and surrender to the peaceful sleep she so desperately needed.

And in that moment of frustration, I heard the whisper of the Spirit say, "this is a blessing, not a burden."  And within seconds I got a flash of what an incredible gift my precious daughter is and a reminder of what an absolute joy it is to get to have that intimate time of holding her and enjoying her while she is still so small.  My mind flashed forward to her as an elementary school child climbing on the bus, a teenager hopping in her car and driving off, and even an adult on her wedding day.  And I just stared at her precious little body and enjoyed every second of my time rocking her to sleep, acknowledging that her life is a gift and this season of baby needs is such a fleeting joy.  I shifted my thinking to the truth that I am completely blessed to be her mom, and not at all burdened by the daily and seemingly constant needs.

And instantly I was energized to rock her for hours, if needed, all through the power of my thoughts.  It is so easy to drain ourselves and decrease our energy by our negative attitudes about the tasks we are required to perform each day.  While I doubt many things are as precious as rocking a baby to sleep, whether or not we enjoy the necessary tasks in our lives, many of them have to be performed regardless of our emotions and why not choose to enjoy life?   We hold the key to the quality of our lives through our perspective.  The truth is that we are blessed, and this truth will set us free. 

I can apply this same principle to other areas of my life.
While at times I struggle with the "burden" of some of these tasks, the reality is that... 

I am blessed to have a job to attend where I have purpose, friends, and a paycheck  

I am blessed to enjoy the gift of intimacy with my husband 

I am blessed to have two mouths to feed

I am blessed to have a healthy body to care for and the health to exercise
I am blessed to have clothes to fold and beds to make and dishes to clean 

Even those things in our lives that are truly awful and nothing about them is a visible blessing, even those we can view through the lens of good training ground.  Romans 8:28 teaches that God uses all things for our good and those hard challenges often produce the most fruit in our lives.  We can access the power of the Holy Spirit to edify ourselves as a way of producing the energy we need to walk through all circumstances. 

Increase your energy in practical ways by starting your day with a hearty breakfast and eating throughout the day, but also by shifting your mind as you complete your daily tasks.  Don't forget to value yourself and your body and ask God for help along the way.

I am so thankful to have increased energy to enjoy every moment with this little peanut!