Praying for grace for yourself
A lesson I am constantly learning the hard way
First off, thank you!
I got some lovely comments, texts, and emails asking, “Dylan!? Are you not writing Our Father Daily anymore??”
It feels good to know that people have noticed, honestly. Some days you feel like you are sending things off into the void, never to hear about them again.
Some days, people remind you that you are adding value to the world.
So thank you, sincerely.
Second thing, I’m NOT stopping Our Father Daily!
The reason why is because my company, DSM Story Forge, has been working on an upcoming advent devotional for a client and I simply had to recognize that I could not do everything I normally do.
Also, I just started working a full-time job for the first time in 3 years, too.
So I had to learn to give myself some grace, recognize what I can and cannot do, and let some precious things go so that I can do some other, equally amazing, work.
And, if I am also being brutally honest…I’ve felt a little bit guilty about letting some things slip while I work on some of these things.
Then, I remember that Jesus tells us that his burden is light and his yoke is easy. Jesus doesn’t tell us that there won’t be any work, any struggle, but that it will be bearable with his help.
And, thinking back to all the times Jesus teaches us about going off and praying, I had to go off and find some time to practice what I preach.
I had to pray for grace…for myself!
I’m my own worst critic in a lot of ways. And I take things to heart, even the mean things I tell myself.
And, if you are anything like me, and in a busy season or going through a difficult situation or just overall struggling with this messy thing we call life…
…then you need to be making sure you are taking the time to pray for the Spirit to reveal if there is room for grace for yourself.
And, if I am being truthful, there are also going to be times where you find yourself recognizing that the grace you need is the grace of being put in your place…of realizing that you might not need to slow down, but to dig in.
But, that’s for another time.
For now, give yourself the grace to pray for YOU, so you can give yourself the space you need to make it through this phase.
My prayer for today
Our Father, help me continue to show myself grace each and every day. In this season of working on good, life-giving projects, help me not beat myself up over how much more I could be doing. Jesus, remind me of your call to give you my burdens, to let you help me carry them. Spirit, keep me in check for self-criticism and also self-evaluation. Amen.
Remember
It’s okay to realize that you can’t do it all. Finding the areas in your life where you can streamline, simplify, or surrender are all part of the Christian journey.