Ideal Balance

Last week, I had the privilege of speaking to a group of ladies at our church camp.  I wasn't given a topic, but came up with a couple that I felt would be meaningful, relevant, and comfortable.  However...God wouldn't let me get away from a certain chapter in Proverbs that tends to scare the bejeebes out of most women!  I'll give you three seconds to guess which one.  :-)

Because I knew that my topics could never be as good as God's, I set to work on Proverbs 31:10-31.  I begged Him for help, and then did my best.  I've learned something in the last couple of years.  If I feel overwhelmed with a project, I take it to Him.  I tell Him the things He already knows:

• I'm scared
• I'm insufficient
• I need Him
• I'll do my best
• He must take care of the rest

And guess what!  He has never left me hanging!  Each time that He proves Himself to me, my faith grows and propels me to a new challenge!  I love that about my God.  :-)

Anyway, the point of this post is to share something with you that He brought my way during my  study.  The Proverbs 31 woman is very focused, driven, and productive.  Each verse in the chapter points to that. In fact, it almost seems that she was busy 24/7, and most of us just can't figure out how to do that without becoming a mess! 

Donna Partow, in her book Becoming the Woman God Wants Me to Be, says this, "She [the Proverbs 31 woman] achieved that ideal balance of a soul at rest and a body in motion.  Too many of us live the opposite way." 

I don't expect her words to strike a chord with every woman, but they sure did with me.  As someone who tends toward anxiety and suffers nocturnal panic attacks, my soul is often in turmoil.  And sometimes because my mind is working overtime, my body slows down and I actually accomplish even less. I really never thought about it like this until I read her analysis.  It makes perfect sense to me. 

You may be able to relate to Partow's statement, and if you do, here are some simple ideas to help you through this struggle:

1. Fill your mind with positive, inspirational thoughts.  Music helps to calm my spirit, and draw my focus upward. 
2. Commit your frustrations.  Dwelling on circumstances that heighten my anxiety is unnecessary and unproductive.  Write them down, and give God the list.
3. Keep moving.  I must avoid the temptation to sit and think about how many tasks I have to complete, how in the world I will ever get them finished, or whether I even have it in me to do a specific task.  If it's mine to do, then God and I can get it done...if I keep moving!
4. Savor accomplishment.  I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know what God helped me to do yesterday and today, and I reflect upon that as an anchor to my faith.  I can do all things through Christ!  This isn't just positive thinking, this is reality!

So, these days I'm reminding myself...soul at rest, body in motion...I'm reminding God of the things He already knows (see above), and I'm trusting that He will prove Himself to me again.

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