I needed this so deeply to land in my inbox as I sit nap-trapped with tears in my eyes feeling completely past capacity. When I was driving home from picking up my kids from school, screaming newborn in tow, I actually thought of both Unseen & The Gift of Limitations and how I feel discipled by you through them. I thought about how I so needed to lean into both of them again. So this post is so timely. I’m so grateful for you.
Many times I have thought about how the screaming newborn is also, perhaps, setting my life-pace as if a metronome. I've been there, Meg!! (And thank you for this kind note.)
Mmm…yes. This post reminds me why I’ve resonated so much with The Gift of Limitations. It I love the question you asked here Sara.
When our life all but came to a halt 4 years ago as we were navigating pediatric cancer, it was the first time I considered that a slower pace of life could actually be a “gift”. I have a mentor who walked a similar path as our family 10+ years ago, and something we have both learned along the way is that slow is good. Now we look each other in the eyes and remind each other what we learned to be true in the throws of chemo and regular hospital visits. There is a sacredness with Him that we find when everything else around us fades. Treasures to be discovered in the hard. Living in the present moment by moment. I’m speaking all of this, having come through the harder parts of that cancer journey and I’m asking Him to remind my heart and guide my heart here, where I’m so tempted to pick up the pace. Rediscovering and relearning in a new season how to slow. How to live from a place of rest with Him. A pace not my own, but where life is truly found. —I needed this today. Thank you!
Here I sit, a survivor of a stroke 2 years ago. Now I live with fatigue sleeping 14 hrs a day never awake, never sharp or focused. I am in 24.7 pain from a condition called cps. I still follow Jesus as I have for 40 years. Yet I feel left alone and not beloved. I force myself to get out to coffee even though I'll come home exhausted and likely elevated pain. I pray for mercy so many times a day. I'm otherwise healthy and expect to live like this for many years. I want to go home. I know you have no answers no one does. I'm sorry you're going through Lyme disease. I feel for you
I drank in every word you've written here, Sara. I can't believe how much better I feel (in every way) since intentionally slowing down last year. It's truly a gift.
This is an area God is working in me, too...rest, sabbath, unproductiveness. Who am I when I'm not producing, when I'm not what one would call "a contributing member of society"? God is showing me, and I'm learning ever so slowly, that regardless of what I do, I'm still seen and loved by Him, that my striving is for all the wrong reasons, and it really is ok to sit at His feet and find that He is my rest.
Thank you so much for sharing these words. You never fail to speak balm over my weary soul.
You are confirming what Has been teaching me over the past few years…. Yes!!! Limitations are good for us. Long personal story here… full time ministry husband and me working, and doing a hundred things to care for our family and three -now- young adult kiddos. But thank you for putting it all into words. Soooo good!
This! I saw diagnoses with cancer last year. Life had to drastically slow down. At times I felt guilt for all the things I couldn’t attend or do. But it has been a gift, I’m very cautious with my yeses now. My yeses are so much more meaningful now.
Thank you so much, Sara. This is one more nudge toward seeking a slower life that’s been bubbling up over the past month or two. Of course, John Mark Comer’s Ruthless Elimination of Hurry comes to mind. My 4 kids are all in school now, and I’ve recently gone back to work (just part time). But I can’t stay caught up at home, between my husband‘s busy work schedule and my kids activities, which are already far fewer than most of their peers. Considering cutting my work hours even further, which won’t be easy with school tuition, but I think it’s necessary.
It's so hard to cut back -- I get it, with 7 kids. But love your heart to consider the slower life ... as I think, truly, that's when we have more space to meet with God.
I needed this so deeply to land in my inbox as I sit nap-trapped with tears in my eyes feeling completely past capacity. When I was driving home from picking up my kids from school, screaming newborn in tow, I actually thought of both Unseen & The Gift of Limitations and how I feel discipled by you through them. I thought about how I so needed to lean into both of them again. So this post is so timely. I’m so grateful for you.
Many times I have thought about how the screaming newborn is also, perhaps, setting my life-pace as if a metronome. I've been there, Meg!! (And thank you for this kind note.)
Mmm…yes. This post reminds me why I’ve resonated so much with The Gift of Limitations. It I love the question you asked here Sara.
When our life all but came to a halt 4 years ago as we were navigating pediatric cancer, it was the first time I considered that a slower pace of life could actually be a “gift”. I have a mentor who walked a similar path as our family 10+ years ago, and something we have both learned along the way is that slow is good. Now we look each other in the eyes and remind each other what we learned to be true in the throws of chemo and regular hospital visits. There is a sacredness with Him that we find when everything else around us fades. Treasures to be discovered in the hard. Living in the present moment by moment. I’m speaking all of this, having come through the harder parts of that cancer journey and I’m asking Him to remind my heart and guide my heart here, where I’m so tempted to pick up the pace. Rediscovering and relearning in a new season how to slow. How to live from a place of rest with Him. A pace not my own, but where life is truly found. —I needed this today. Thank you!
My best friend also talks about her cancer in this way ... how those years taught her a pace she needed to maintain.
Here I sit, a survivor of a stroke 2 years ago. Now I live with fatigue sleeping 14 hrs a day never awake, never sharp or focused. I am in 24.7 pain from a condition called cps. I still follow Jesus as I have for 40 years. Yet I feel left alone and not beloved. I force myself to get out to coffee even though I'll come home exhausted and likely elevated pain. I pray for mercy so many times a day. I'm otherwise healthy and expect to live like this for many years. I want to go home. I know you have no answers no one does. I'm sorry you're going through Lyme disease. I feel for you
Ken, I am so sorry for your ache. Physical pain touches places of the heart like almost nothing else.
May God bless you, Ken, for your courage, faith and compassion. Have you explored a support group?
Sometimes sharing your situation with others who understand and are struggling with similar feelings can bring some relief.
Love this Sara! We can all identify:)
Hugs. Susan Yates
Thank you, friend!
Beautifully said. I live at this address, too. Thank you.
Oh my. Yes.
I drank in every word you've written here, Sara. I can't believe how much better I feel (in every way) since intentionally slowing down last year. It's truly a gift.
oh friend, you have so inspired me as I've watched you slow ...
This is an area God is working in me, too...rest, sabbath, unproductiveness. Who am I when I'm not producing, when I'm not what one would call "a contributing member of society"? God is showing me, and I'm learning ever so slowly, that regardless of what I do, I'm still seen and loved by Him, that my striving is for all the wrong reasons, and it really is ok to sit at His feet and find that He is my rest.
Thank you so much for sharing these words. You never fail to speak balm over my weary soul.
yes yes yes
You are confirming what Has been teaching me over the past few years…. Yes!!! Limitations are good for us. Long personal story here… full time ministry husband and me working, and doing a hundred things to care for our family and three -now- young adult kiddos. But thank you for putting it all into words. Soooo good!
This! I saw diagnoses with cancer last year. Life had to drastically slow down. At times I felt guilt for all the things I couldn’t attend or do. But it has been a gift, I’m very cautious with my yeses now. My yeses are so much more meaningful now.
I'm so sorry for your diagnosis, Rachel ... oh but I do know how those things tend to recalibrate us to the pace we are *actually* capable of keeping.
Thank you so much, Sara. This is one more nudge toward seeking a slower life that’s been bubbling up over the past month or two. Of course, John Mark Comer’s Ruthless Elimination of Hurry comes to mind. My 4 kids are all in school now, and I’ve recently gone back to work (just part time). But I can’t stay caught up at home, between my husband‘s busy work schedule and my kids activities, which are already far fewer than most of their peers. Considering cutting my work hours even further, which won’t be easy with school tuition, but I think it’s necessary.
It's so hard to cut back -- I get it, with 7 kids. But love your heart to consider the slower life ... as I think, truly, that's when we have more space to meet with God.
That book has been life changing. I’ve read it twice.