Picking up the Pieces

It happened about two years ago.

Tension had been mounting for months. My responsibilities stretched me thinner and thinner. I desperately tried to stay on top of everything, sacrificing my health and my home in the process.

And then, one morning, I snapped.

All the plates I had been juggling fell and shattered into a million pieces. Life crumpled around me. I plopped down on the edge of the bed I share with my adoring husband and cried out to God.

While the circumstances are rather personal, I know most women have felt like that at one time or another in their lives. They took on too much. They tried to be superwoman. And then they failed.

We are not meant to lean on our own strength. If we do, we will always fail. But there is a light–there is hope. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Phil 4:13 NKJV)

How do we pick up the pieces after such horrific failure? How do we pull ourselves out of the self-made mess?

1. First of all, nothing is impossible. As women, we tend to be hardest on ourselves. We take in all the blame. Chances are it’s not quite as bad as we think.

2. Prayer is most important. It is not until we are on our knees before the King of Forgiveness that we can find the mercy we so desperately need. Our vision cannot be cleared, our hearts cannot be lifted, and our souls cannot be moved without prayer.

3. With guidance from God and our husbands (if married), we need to assess and realign our priorities, and from there decide what belongs in our lives.

4. Step back and reevaluate. Not everything we allow into our lives is necessary. Not everything is FROM God FOR us. Did you know that many women will volunteer for something just because there is a hole that needs filling, and not necessarily because that is where God wants her? Yeah, I’ve never done that either.

5. Make a plan . . . and then put it into action! A list that never gets checked off is a sad list indeed. So is the list maker. We need to find our motivation, and then focus on it. Our families, our homes, God–they are all reasons for us to get up and do what needs doing each day.

6. Remember to be thankful. God has blessed us beyond measure, even if things aren’t going the way we planned, even when life is at its worst. God is still there. And, if nothing else, that is reason enough to be thankful.

God has a plan for our lives–Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that. It is when we fall out of line with His plans that our lives start to crumble. After all, it’s hard to juggle the plates that aren’t even supposed to be there.

Take the time to pray; ask God what His will is for your life. Evaluate where you are in relation to where you want to be. Make a plan, and then follow through. In all things, be thankful for the mercies which are new every morning! (Lam. 3:22-23)