Running on empty

I've been terribly busy this month. I don't know how it happens. People invite me to do things, or request help with something and unless I have a conflict in my schedule, I will usually offer my help or accept the invitation. It doesn't leave me with much time for myself and it doesn't really leave me time to do the things I really want to get done either. Usually I can continue along this path for a while - I will take small personal retreats here and there but they usually don't do it for me - after a personal retreat, I'm still left feeling like I need another. After a while, I end up running on empty and then the things that people ask me to do or request help with, suddenly feels like a huge chore and I am no longer doing it with the right heart or the right intentions. The joy of helping others becomes an obligation and it becomes very apparent to those I am serving that I really didn't want to do this at all.

Sunday's sermon was about not losing heart - don't give up. At first, I thought the pastor was telling me that even in these tough and overwhelming circumstances, I should stick it through and keep persevering. Keep my eyes on the goal and keep going!!! And in a way, he was saying that. But the second half of the sermon was about finding a balance, finding time for yourself to recover and knowing your limits. He reminded me that i need to make time for myself - advice from Rick Warren : "Divert daily, withdraw weekly, abandon annually" - i think that's it. I haven't been finding time for myself on a daily basis. My weekly withdraws became monthly withdraws. And my annual vacation this year wasn't really a vacation - it was a missions ministry trip!

So this weekend, I went on a personal retreat. I refrained from looking at my phone and emails, I packed up a few project items that I found relaxing and have wanted to start on for a long time now but never had the time and today, on a Monday morning, I feel completely refreshed! I am going to have to pace myself better in the future but this has been a good slap on the head that I was running on empty.

That said - this weekend, I'm so proud to say that I learned how to knit a cable with only two needles!! Traditionally you require a third cable needles but with some knitting acrobatics, you can do it with two. WOOT! Photos of my new project will be posted probably when it's completed. :P