Over the past few weeks in Northern Ireland, there has been a growing sense of weariness and frustration with this pandemic, and the pendulum swings of restrictions that have had so many costly repercussions.
In the midst of my own personal feelings about it, I’ve also been so conscious of the impossible tightrope those in authority are walking at the moment. I’ve found myself imagining what I would do if I had to choose between overwhelming the health service and destroying the economy, between elective services and reactive provisions. I heard a politician say in a radio interview a few days ago, ‘This is a lose-lose situation. Something always has to give; there’s always a cost to pay. It’s a precarious predicament.’
That’s part of life all round though, isn’t it? This has just been a particularly stark reminder of humanity’s finitude.
Every day, I’m reminded (much to my dismay), that I can’t do it all.
🌱 When my work life flourishes, my social life suffers.
🌱 When I’m getting quality time with my husband, my kids clamour for my attention.
🌱 When I get better at self-care, other people in my life can feel neglected.
Why is there always this sense that we aren’t doing enough, or achieving equilibrium in any area? Who gets the balance totally right?
No one.
Actually, someone did. But He was (and is) – fully Man and fully God.
🌱 Jesus mastered the impossible tightrope of deity and humanity on this earth.
🌱 He was always productive, in rest and in work.
🌱 He poured out endlessly but stored up spiritually.
🌱 He knew to say no to the wrong things so he could say yes to the right things.
🌱 He was perfectly self aware without being remotely self focused.
🌱 He balanced the scales of grace and truth perfectly.
🌱 He is perfectly consistent in all his judgments and fair in all His assessments.
🌱 His unmistakable authority complements His irrefutable humility.
🌱 He is always loving, in kindness and in rebuke.
🌱 He was fully majestic in absolute meekness.
Jesus understood who He was and what He came to do. He gave his life so others could find it. And because He lived the perfect life, died the perfect death and rose again to life, He provided a win-win solution to our inability to get things right.
The phrase, “Something’s gotta give” means that things are building up and whatever is supporting everything is going to break under the pressure.
Yes, the pressure of getting the balance right is too much for us – particularly when there are important decisions to make; and most especially when tragedy strikes and all the plates we’ve been spinning crash to the floor.
Yet the real freedom comes when we stop resisting the fact that we can’t do it all, and hand it over to the only One who can- who did, who does and who will. There’s liberty to be found in recognising our wisdom is only partial, our energies are finite, our foresight is limited and our capacity is not endless.
Somethings gotta give… so give it all to Him.
Hand it all over to the only One who can support the load, and keep you steady. Release it all to the only One who knows what lies ahead for you and for our nation. Place everything into the hands of the only One who can give you true wisdom for the next step. Entrust your life to the only One who can help you walk the line in impossible situations. And when you feel you can’t carry your invisible load anymore, remember He carried the weight of it all for you.
H xx
Looking for Eden 