Life isn't always sunshine & rainbows.

Let's face it…sometimes we get stressed out. Distracted. Irritated. Tripped up. Sluggish. Yes, I realize our lives are full of peaks and valleys, and that there's nothing wrong with that. Wouldn't it be great if the sunshine & rainbows never left, though? What gives…

Not sure about you, but when I sit down and think about it, I start to see a pattern. I notice myself feeling most burnt out when I am my most busy. When my schedule is crammed full of "shtuff", I tend to lose my balance—mentally, physically, relationally and spiritually. It is when I am most busy—most distracted, that is—that my focus on the Lord gets blurred. I begin to drift from His presence and depend only on myself to push through a list I have invented on my own and labeled "important".

Yesterday morning I was reminded of part of a verse I once memorized in Ecclesiastes 5:3 that says, "Too much activity gives you restless dreams." This is so true in my life. When I am most go-go-go, my sense of the here and now, as well as any future dreams or goals get diluted with an unsettled chaos. I simply become restless. When I am most focused on Jesus though, I have a better handle on my priorities, I'm more willing to let my schedule be flexible (more interruptible), I have more motivation, I'm more creative, and I am more sensitive to the needs of others.

Now, I am not saying that focusing on Jesus magically makes your troubles melt away. I am saying, however, that focusing on Jesus has a way of shifting your perspective so that you see things from more of the "big-picture" angle. Our God is not a God of chaos or confusion. "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

My best cure for burnout? Rest. Duh, right? But really: rest in the Lord. Have a quality quiet time in the morning by praising the God who made you, read a nugget from His Word (the Bible), dedicate your to-do list to Him, commit your thoughts to Him. Ask Jesus to help you mimic his character throughout the day. I guarantee your day will look up.

Also, it never hurts to break out of your routine a bit. Yesterday I ended up spending the morning with a friend running errands. It wasn't on the original "schedule" I had planned out. But fresh air, camaraderie, and laughter elevated my creativity and insight.

Sunshine & rainbows? Quite possibly the revised forecast.