Strapped

I learned a few lessons during my self-imposed, God-directed July sabbatical.

Some were profound. Some rather simple.

One over-riding theme was that often in my life, I am strapped.

I’m strapped to my kid’s schedules–run to the doctor, taxi to the youth group, head to the ball field. That kind of strapping, I really don’t mind.

Daily I am strapped to my duties at home.

Someone must gather the groceries, feed the clan and scour the commode. While my flesh would love to afford to hire these tasks done, my spirit instead whispers that it is I who needs to perform them. As I heard a friend declare (by way of another friend who was quoting her) “It is kind of hard to take yourself too seriously when you are down on your hands and knees, scrubbing your own toilet.”

Sometimes I am strapped by my words; words flung in haste or, worse yet, in anger.

“…if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth,  then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!  Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.  Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.” Proverbs 6: 2-5

I get strapped by over-committment.

I get strapped by not being forthright with people and later, I have some explaining to do.

I get strapped by the Internet, when I don’t use it as a tool, but allow it to become a tangent.

And, sometimes, I feel strapped to this site.

I love to ponder and post and then pray my words might help at least one sister who reads.

But staying to a tight schedule (while at the same time writing my current book project) well, it leaves my straps so tight, I feel they may strangle me.

Will you allow me the grace and space to post only when I feel I have something worthwhile to offer? Not just because my calendar or smart phone tells me it is a certain day of the week?

I’ve loved the Weight Loss Wednesday gang. I still do. I just can’t commit to cranking out content on specific subject right now with my book and my sweet sister-in-law’s current condition.

Oh, I’ll still be here. Got multitudes of musings swirling around in my head just waiting to fly out of my fingertips. I just may not adhere to the Monday, Wednesday, Friday schedule I usually follow. (In fact, I’ll be posting a giveaway tomorrow—on a Thursday—with the launch of my friend Renee’s very first and FABULOUSLY HELPFUL book).

Now, let me ask you something. Just what has you strapped?

Is it good? Is it godly? Is it necessary? Is it nice?

May we all ultimately allow ourselves to be strapped only to that which will make us more like the Savior.

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:10-14

Strapped-to-My-Savior Blessings,