This time of year, I always seem to fall into the same pit – an ugly one called burn-out. Mid-April, it begins to creep in ever so slowly, and by mid-May after year-end parties, birthday celebrations, dance rehearsals, dance recitals, cooking tons of meals for a whole lotta people (and the list goes on – and on), I’m in full-blown, exhausted, I-think-I-could-sleep-for-3-days, my-body-may-never-leave-the-house-again, and I’m-giving-my-kids-doughnuts-for-supper-every-night type of burn-out.
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Sheesh . . . I know what gets me to this point, and each year, I vow that I’m going to do better. So I change and tweak things in our life a bit, but then BOOM!!! The end of the school year still hits me like a stick of dynamite.
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But this year, I realized tweaking our schedule a little bit each year isn’t cutting it. How many women and mamas are right there with me and have found that our cultural demands consume more time than we actually have in a given day? And is there anything that we can do to take this crazy bull by the horns and move life back into a comfortable pace of not merely surviving – but thriving?
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I have found that when life feels out of control and my emotional energy is zapped, I must recharge, and I have discovered a few simple ways to rest in God’s presence that bring forth great life after a season of stress and chaos.
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First, I pray. I call out to God and ask Him to increase my energy and emotional stamina. I beg Him for sensitivity to hear His still small voice instructing me which way to go. And I pray for forgiveness. So much of my chaos in life is brought on by where I choose to go and invest my energy. Instead of investing my limited and precious time in activities that steal time away from my family and leave us all feeling frazzled and defeated, I desire to invest my time in activities that bring about life and growth and draw me closer to God. With God’s help, I can choose better for our family and invest our energy in activities that set us up for success and balance.
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Next, I intentionally get into God’s Word. Opening my Bible and drinking in God’s wisdom remind me that in order to recharge and heal from the emotional roller-coaster of a stressful school year filled with too much activity, I must stop to rest in His presence and drink in the peace that only His Word can bring. Scripture convicts me of where my priorities should be and when they have fallen outside of God’s will for my life. The Word of God gives me an internal moral compass in knowing what interventions need to be put in place to bring forth a more intentional rhythm and balanced life.
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And lastly, I surround myself with godly friends. They are like fuel for my soul. If I want to be filled up, recharged, and giddy again about life, I need good friends to pour life back into me. God set His church in place to give His people support and encouragement. Though we may be flawed, as God’s children, we can be flawed and also full of grace – always lifting each other up. Simple acts like meeting friends at the park for a picnic and allowing our children to be free and play breathe much life into my weary bones. Time spent with others that love me well and love my children as their own is a true gift from God. I am blessed to have friends who demonstrate characteristics that I hope to have in my own life. They challenge me to keep going, keep loving, and keep serving. Their intentional lives before God are true testaments of lives abiding in Jesus and full of fruit.
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At some point or another, I believe we all will face some form of burn-out. How we handle burn-out, though, can be beautiful. Any time that we realize that we are not enough in ourselves and in desperate need of Jesus, He will come along beside us to refresh us, to equip us, and to give us rest so that we can keep on keeping on this crazy and unpredictable journey of motherhood.
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Moms, when life seems to burn you out, rest in knowing that this exhaustion is not forever. If we remember to pray, get into God’s Word, and surround ourselves with friends who are good for our souls, we just may be surprised how quickly our burn-out can transform into a burning desire to continue to press on.

❤️, Macki