I’ve tried, but it
rarely works.
If, by chance, it looks like I’m doing it all—don’t be
fooled. I’m completely stressed out and miserable. Not exactly worth “doing it
all.”
So, I have to be honest with myself.
As much as I would like it to be different, I only have so
much time and energy.
There are decisions to be made.
If I spend my day shopping at the mall, I won’t be home to
clean the house.
If I decide cleaning the house is my priority, I won’t be
able to watch a movie with my daughter.
The same holds true when we’re pursuing God-sized dreams.
God-sized Dream = A desire in your heart for more of what God has for you. ~Holley Gerth
Opportunities present themselves and we have to discern
which will move us forward and which will not.
It won’t be easy. After all, who wants to turn down an
opportunity?
I know I didn’t…but I had to.
I recently received three invitations. Two were to write
guest blog posts to be online in March, and one was to co-host an (in)RL Meetup (a local gathering
for a world-wide conference) in April.
I wanted to take them all on. But I knew I couldn’t.
I had to ask myself…what could I realistically commit my
time to, and which of the three choices could I accomplish to the best of my
ability?
Writing is where I feel God leading me, so I gladly accepted
both writing projects.
But it was co-hosting the (in)RL Meetup that I needed to
think and pray about. It would take time to plan and coordinate—time I really
don’t have, unless I take it from other areas, like family and writing.
I had to decline, which was graciously accepted with
understanding.
Saying “yes” to the writing projects meant I had to say “no”
to co-hosting.
It was the decision I had to make because I know I can’t do
it all…and I’m okay with admitting that.
When has saying “yes” to something meant you had to say “no”
to something else?
In Christ,
Linking up with Heart to Heart with Holley, Sharing His Beauty, Winsome Wednesday, WholeHearted Home, Soli Deo Gloria, and Into the Beautiful.
Thank you for this. There are times when I need to learn to say "no" more often so that I can say "yes" more often (does that make sense?).
ReplyDeleteIt makes perfect sense. :)
Delete.... i love this reminder .. thank you so much laura.. and i love your writings.. it clearly is where God has gifted you so I can't wait to read what you post! blessings
ReplyDeleteJenn, you made me smile. Thank you for your kind words and encouragement! God bless!
DeleteAppreciate this honest and wonderful share and reminder. It is true. ANd I have been pondering the yesses and nos that need to be made in order to do His will.
ReplyDeleteI'm praying for you Dawn. God is going to lead you through this.
DeleteBlessings,
Laura
Oh girl, I seem to say yes to everything. My life is filled to overflowing and yet I still find cracks and crevices to squeeze things into. I need to learn to put up boundaries. By saying "no" opens a door for the yes of God, that which He truly desires us to do.
ReplyDeleteSomewhere in those open cracks and crevices we're trying to fill, we need to remember to take care of ourselves too. I think boundaries help us do that. Blessings Barbie!
DeleteIsn't that so hard? Especially as you start answering God's call on your life, because these can be things you almost can't turn down (like the (in)RL request). Ahhh, living out our dreams is not for the weak I suppose. It's sounds like you are finding an excellent balance!
ReplyDeleteI agree,I don't want to turn down something that may be in God's plans for me, but at the same time, maybe it's just not for right now. Saying no doesn't mean never, but maybe just no for right now.
DeleteThis is so true, Laura. Just because an opportunity looks good at the time, it might not be the best thing for me in this particular season of my life. I need to ask God for discernment in when to say "no".
ReplyDeleteProbably one of the hardest things for me is to say that no...I'm too much of a people-pleaser. :) Thank you for the reminder that it's not a bad thing to turn something down in order to focus on other things that should take priority. Great post...thank you so much for sharing! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Mel. :)
DeleteLife is very much a balancing act for me- and a very tenous one at times. I finally got to the place where I realized I was doing so many things but none of them to excellence. Learning the art of saying no has been liberating for me! Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you Kimberly. Learning to discern and say no is freeing, not only for me, but for the other person who isn't left waiting on me. God bless!
DeleteI find myself almost afraid i will miss something if I say no. Once I realized it was fear more than passion in some of my decisions, it became easier to say no. That was an interesting insight to my mind. good reminder here!
ReplyDeleteFear of missing something and also fear of what someone will think if we say no--two determining factors that often get us in over our heads. Thanks Jean!
DeleteLove what you shared here, Laura. Discernment is tough sometimes.... thanks for reminding me that it's important to slow down and pray through. -- And thanks for stopping by my blog this week. xoxo
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great post - so needed for us - (especially us women... us master multi-taskers!) There is freedom in saying No - and Balance! Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteHi Laura, I know what you mean. Fortunately I have no problem saying no, lol! But sometimes I say yes for the wrong reasons and well, then the consequences can be tough. Great post, great advice
ReplyDeleteGod bless and thanks for linking up my friend
Tracy
Ha! So timely for me to read, Laura. Learning this very lesson. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI have had a hard time saying "no" in the past, but I realized that when I take on too many commitments, my family suffers greatly -- my relationship with God, too. I've learned that good doesn't mean best.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true! And a good way to think about things. What I'm doing right now - blogging and visiting online require that I say "no" to other activities. It is good to be mindful of that choice.
ReplyDelete{hug} I had to make a similar choice. Thank you for sharing your story!
ReplyDelete- jenni from Holley's WLW group on FB, http://www.StrokeOfGrace.blogspot.com
Thank you for sharing this post over at WholeHearted Home. This was really, really such a good post!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a lesson I need to keep learning. Cheering for you, Laura! :-)
ReplyDelete