Tonight, a friend of mine came into my room and started talking to me. It was a fairly casual conversation, one you would not normally remark as anything especially out of the ordinary, but as I was talking to him he must have noticed something. He sort of cocked his head a little and asked if I was okay. Pretty standard question, but something in the compassionate way in which it was asked was very penetrating. I realized quickly that I was tired, quite tired. I have been running myself ragged, and (like usual) been putting a very undisturbed face on it. I endure. That is something I have always done. I just keep going. Somehow I had succeeded in fooling even myself that I am fine. It is not that my life is horrible, I have simply been draining myself slowly out of a hundred tiny holes. I am always busy with something, and I have not let myself rest. It is not bad to avoid inactivity, but I have not really been able to rest. The myriad of activities to which I have committed myself have been incredibly rewarding, but exhausting nonetheless.
I must be honest with myself: I am wearing myself out. Perhaps I need to cut back a little. The problem is that I also feeling a sense of urgency. Something is compelling me. I feel as though I have a great work to accomplish, but the inclination is still too nebulous for me to have any certain feelings about it. At the very least, I need to take a step back and figure out what I am pursuing and make sure my motives are right.
You can do anything, but not everything. Be a river, not a flood. Sound familiar? Thank you, Tim Elmore, man with terrible hair.
ReplyDeleteI love you, brother. You're wonderful and God's making you into one amazing man. Thanks for being so honest all the time.
REST, ok? It's a good thing.
What a stoic.
ReplyDelete;)
Greg...
ReplyDeleteYou opened up here.
Wow.
ReplyDeleteAuthentic-thank you.
Hmmmm...endurance. It sucks sometimes, doesn't it? I've been there, Greg, and sometimes I still return there. But we must thrive, not just survive! Rest is often hard to come by, but when we find it in Jesus, it's blissful. I know that first-hand, and I deal with the rest-struggle all the time. I love this! Way to be honest and vulnerable and humble. Keep pursuing him, Greg.
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