May 8, 2017

When Should's Overwhelm... a Five Minute Friday Post

I missed out again on Thursday night but it was because it was the National Day of Prayer. Friday --well, I did a bit of soaking up some sun on Friday (and Saturday!) and Sunday... well, you know how it goes! Today is the first time I have been inside and in front of a screen for days... but I must admit, the sun is whispering my name and the patio awaits me and my stack of books... but this only takes five minutes, right?  Let's do this.


This is Five Minute Friday (- a five minute timed free write) and our One Word Prompt for the day is: SHOULD

{GO}

I have a love/hate relationship with this word!
As in, for real.

Y'all know how I love me some bossy lists, and you also probably know by now that I'm not always a fan of having anyone boss me around. (Except Him... sure... mostly.)

I don't know about you, but me? Well, I can 'Should' myself to death --or at least to burn out, right?

Please tell me that I am not alone...

Assure me that you do this too, even though you know better!

Even sitting in this chair and tapping this out --all the Should's can drown out what He is saying.  I should have written on Thursday night... I should have come to the Twitter party... I should have made time to write on Friday.  I should be better at this blogging gig.  I should write more.  I should... I should... I should...

But here's the deal:

When I pay attention to all the Shoulding I should have done, I forget what it is that He is clearly calling me to in this season and at this time.

The only thing that He tells me that I should do right now is to pay attention to how He wired me and to let Him love me.

That's it.

Easy Peasy.

Only - it turns out, not so much ---because, Gah! 
There is so much to do!

But over and over again, His list of Should's for me whisper quiet and oh how I wish sometimes they would be louder than all the other noise.  


They whisper to come and rest... to learn the unforced rhythms of grace... to sit and be silent... to stand still and watch and see the salvation of the Lord...


Some days, it's my Should's that need saving. 

Amen?

Because here's the thing: 

When we let our minds be given over to thoughts of Should's, we let our hearts grow weary and we open the door to the enemy of our soul to put on heavy burdens that are not ours to carry.  At least not anymore!  

When we begin to live our lives according to bossy lists and we focus on things we didn't (yet) get done --we fill our vocabulary with regrets and we fall for the lie that life is hard and that nothing ever works out.  

We begin to feel that downward spiral pull and we recite what the enemy has on repeat on that endless tape: You're not good enough.  You should have done it already/better/differently... you should be more/less... you should be quieter/louder... you should... you should... you should...

And like I used to tell My Honey all. the. time. as a newlywed, "You know what you should do..."

But for real:

We should KICK HIM OUT and tell him to just stop talking!

Instead of listening to him and all his lies, we should listen to God and what He has to say about us.

I have a sneaking suspicion* that His thoughts towards us are kinder... more loving... more full of grace... and of course --of COURSE-- they are more in line with Truth!

{STOP}

And I also suspect that what He is saying to me lately, He is saying to you as well! All you 'should' do is tune your heart and your ears to His voice... and do what He asks you to. Do only what He asks you to do.  Anything else is extra and bonus and it should (ha!) fill you up and refresh you.  

Springtime can be full of Should's... with more daylight and sunshine and outdoor adventures, our lists get longer and chores more bossy. But don't forget to let Him boss you a bit first because He is the best and smartest and kindest 'boss' I know! He is the kind of boss who rolls up His sleeves and works WITH you to help get it done, so that He can relax with you and celebrate a job well done... Something about, 'Well done, good and faithful servant!'


Now... Just Breathe.  



Silence all the Should's and ask Him,
"Lord, what do YOU have planned for my day?" 

I can't guarantee that it will be easy... but I can promise you that He won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you! I can almost guarantee that the #1 thing He thinks you should do longs for you to do is the same thing He has been calling me to as well: 

Just let Him love you!


Linking up with Kate Motaung and the #fmfparty Community today.  Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click HERE to read what others have to say about: "SHOULD"

* = This is when my Five Minutes ran out. Grace please for finishing my sentence (and my thoughts.)
The FMF lowdown: The gathering happens on Twitter on Thursday nights & then we write our hearts out & hit publish all over the interwebs on Thursday & Friday (& sometimes on Tuesdays!) It's where we encourage & uplift... where we share prayer requests & praise reports... where we talk food & friends & we find support & kindred hearts. It's where we are reminded that life is good & God is good & we're not alone... & then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts & our fingers do the talking tapping & we hit publish before we can second guess it all away. We'd love to have you join us!

I'm also linking up with the lovely writer communities linked below:







Debbie Kitterman for #TuneInThursday

Kelly Balarie for #RaRaLinkUp


LORI SCHUMAKER FOR #MOMENTSOFHOPE










Barbie Swihart for #Glimpsesofhisbeauty
















JENNIFER DUKES LEE FOR #TELLHISSTORY
















HOLLY BARRETT FOR #TESTIMONYTUESDAY


A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE LORD SPOKE TO ME AND THROUGH ME REGARDING SABBATH REST AND I TURNED MY 31 DAYS SERIES INTO AN EBOOK ON AMAZON.  IF YOU ARE FINDING YOURSELF IN NEED OF REST (WHICH --WHO ISN'T, REALLY?) CHECK OUT THIS SHORT, DAILY DEVOTIONAL  31 DAYS OF RESTING IN GOD ...IT'S EASIER/HARDER THAN YOU THINK!  

YOU CAN PURCHASE IT BY CLICKING HERE OR GRABBING IT FROM THE SIDE BAR TO THE RIGHT IF REST IS SOMETHING YOU KNOW YOU NEED, BUT JUST KEEP PUTTING OFF! 

22 comments :

  1. We women can be our own worst enemy - we aid the Enemy when we forget the umbrella of God's grace! Thanks!

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  2. Ditto what Sue said, we are [read I am!] my own worst enemy. Caught in this "should" trap is exactly where I've been the last few days. Thanks, friend, for pointing me toward Him :) Blessings on your week!

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    1. Oh June... I get caught more often than I'd like to admit... praying for us both!

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  3. Oh friend, thank you for this reminder: "I have a sneaking suspicion* that His thoughts towards us are kinder... more loving... more full of grace... and of course --of COURSE-- they are more in line with Truth! " I'm trying to remmber this in these hard days. You are such a gift friend! Love you! Xo

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    1. His thoughts toward you and His plans for your future are gracious and kind and so full of hope and blessing!!! Praying for you, friend!

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  4. Right now, I don't think "should" is a problem in my life. It becomes a problem when I think about explaining WHY something didn't get done and I realize it's all excuses. But that kicks my butt in gear to do it.
    It's not Biblical, but I often think, instead of "should": "There is no try/should. Do or do not!" Those are a paraphrase Yoda's words, if you aren't familiar with Star Wars.

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    1. Ah yes... the wisdom of Yoda! If only I would remember this BEFORE listing off my excuses! ;) Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  5. That's a lot of wisdom packed into five little minutes of writing time! Yes, we need to listen more to the quiet whisper of truth from God, telling us what's MOST important. Visiting from #RaRalink-up

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  6. Oh So Good!! I'm blessed once again by my visit to you after a long while!! I've been battling shoulds all week ..aren't we blessed we have scripture and repenting to return where we most belong!! I love, love, love the way you untangle the horrific dangers of shoulds..they are just awful really, stealing our peace! I'm still amazed you can write such wisdom in 5 minutes! One day I will try it again..sure would help with my busy schedule..but I"m NOT going to say I should be doing 5 minute posts! So love visiting today and finding myself nextdoor on #TestimonyTuesda!

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    1. LOL! I see what you just did there! (Good for you!) I'm so glad you stopped by, friend! It's so nice to 'see' you!

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  7. Love these thoughts here lady! You are spot on that the list God has for us is so much greater and bigger than whatever we could come up with. Glad you are taking time to listen to that still small voice! :)

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    1. Thanks, Nicki! It's when we think we don't HAVE the time that we really must MAKE it, right? Thanks so much for stopping by!

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  8. Like you, there have been times when I've should-ed my self right into small corners. Thanks be to God for freeing grace and the voice of Truth from His Word: No condemnation!

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    1. Oh yes... small cramped corners... Oh yes - I am very familiar with those! ;) Thanks so much for stopping by --and letting me know that I am not alone!

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  9. OMG, I'm so guilty. Sometimes I find it hard sleeping because even during bedtime, my mind's thinking about my to-dos.

    Great reminder!

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    1. Right? It's so easy to do without even realizing you are doing it (until it's already done its' work on you!) Praying that as you wind down and get ready for sleep, you will feel His Presence wash over you and Peace calm your mind!

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  10. You are NOT alone! Thank you for this wonderful reminder! I so needed to hear it. I struggle with the shoulds in all of my roles...homeschooler, pastor's wife, mom, wife, daughter, etc. Your message comforted me this morning!

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    1. Oh Amy... yes - and it's tough because all of those roles are so very valuable and important! And yet - it's your role as His Beloved that is most important! I'm so glad you stopped by and found a bit of comfort here!

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  11. Who is that tormenter we call Mr Should?
    He is the one who'd condemn if he could.
    We are the ones called by I AM
    The ones clothed in grace and no longer damned.

    Love you Ms K

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    1. Oh my goodness, I adore you! And this poem. (and the truth within it!)

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Thanks so much for stopping by! I always love to hear your thoughts! Remember to: Speak Life - Be Love - Shine On!
~Karrilee~

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