Monday, March 28, 2016

Peace At Last

by Cheryl Merrick

A nagging feeling that
things are not right in my life.
A sense of unrest.
An unsettling awareness that something is wrong.

Accepting my need to rest,
I knew I only had ten hours to do all I wanted.
Of these hours, half are needed to care for myself--
food, exercise, meds, rest, and scripture study.
The other five hours were needed to do LDS.org feedback,
family history, study and write.
Fifteen minutes of each hour must be unscheduled time
and include all detailed work.
Time gone.

Where was I to find time for visiting friends and family,
teaching the children at school,
and my visiting teaching calling?
It just wouldn’t work!
But it had to!!

I kept feeling impressed that I didn’t need
to run faster than I had strength.
I kept seeing a picture of a young woman
struggling to stand on a large ball
while juggling six balls in the air,
then I saw her peacefully sitting on the ball
calmly holding just two balls.
I knew I had to eliminate some things from my life,
but what!?
I enjoy them all!
I’m good at these things.
I can help others.
and who else would or could do it?!
I desperately wanted to do them all!

All afternoon my husband and I counseled
while he worked on the kitchen counters.
As we discussed each commitment in my life,
it became evident that at this time,
the Lord wants me to focus my efforts
on missionary work.
Though I have enjoyed helping the children at school,
it is too stressful.
I simply can’t recover from all the allergic reactions
of getting out frequently.
I must be very careful and choose which events
are worth the stress it will cause to my health.
Regretfully, I’ve asked to be released as
visiting teaching coordinator.
visit teaching supervisor,
and visiting teacher in the home.
I will still continue to write the missionaries,
send cards to the widows,
birthday wishes,
and emails to the women in the ward.

I feel that I have been blessed
by the prayers of the saints in the temple
to accept my limitations
and do the Lord’s will in my life.



No comments:

Post a Comment