Help, I Can't Get Up!

I have been a runner most of my life. As some of you know, I have a background in track, cross country, marathons and triathlons. I used to keep pace with the pack. Lately, I have had recurring dreams that I am trying to run with everyone and I keep falling back and even falling down at the back.
Do you feel like you are struggling right now to keep pace? Have you felt burdened and weary with all of your responsibilities as a parent, homeschool teacher, spouse, worker and friend? Since the start of the pandemic, my responsibilities have increased, especially at home. I never dreamed of homeschooling my children or of being a special education teacher. In fact, two months ago, I would have adamantly told you I would not and could not ever homeschool my kids.
Where are you being stretched right now? And how do you and I learn to operate in the place of weakness? How do we accomplish things that are way out of our comfort zones and beyond our human strengths and abilities? It is a question I have pondered, even in the middle of the night.
After one of my recent running dreams, where I fell back yet again, I asked God for wisdom and clarity. What was I doing wrong and what should I be doing differently? What message was He trying to give me?
Then, as I sat quietly one morning in His presence, it came to me. I saw myself in the dream, scraped and tear stained, fallen to the ground. The pack ran off ahead of me. And suddenly, Jesus walks up from the opposite direction from where everyone was running and He reaches out His hand. He crouches down, smiles, takes my hand and lifts me up. The tears started to flow. Not tears of sadness, but tears of joy. Tears of cleansing. Tears of relief to know that He saw me and understood me. And tears of reassurance that The One I was searching for, was right there with me all along. He met me right where I was at and set me back on solid ground.
I believe He is saying to you and me that He wants us to rest in Him and to trust Him during this season. We no longer have to strive and stress and chase after things. We no longer need to figure it all out and do it in our own strength. We need to let Jesus in, allow Him to meet us where we are at, even in our mess and let Him pick us up again.
I believe He wants to show me and you the specific path and the specific strategy He has for us in this season. And it may look unlike anything we have seen before. I believe He wants us to take time to quiet ourselves, to wait in His presence and let Him show us which way to go. Trust that He will take you along the best path and provide for everything you need along the way.
Matthew 11:31-33 So do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
