Slow Motion

           Waves wash over you and you brace yourself with each swallowing of these giants that rush against you suddenly. Over and over it hits you and eventually you will realize this isn't going away. It's here you begin to learn how to move through these massive mountains, to "swim" toward growth and a strength....eventually; this is burn out, where I've been walking through lately. 

            Slow motion is the way, forward yet slowly, and you struggle. You can "see the blue skies"(see what's good), and you have good days where you feel stronger and can appreciate good things, but that deep down fatigue still hits you. It's more than just a physical fatigue though, and this is where the challenge lies for those enduring this......those like me. I wish I had the answers, even a better handle on how to face this sort of thing, but I don't......though I'm learnING some ways.....and maybe that's better; maybe someone out there needs to know you can still overcome this and that's it's okay to struggle as long as you don't let these things win over you. < This is why I write this (or get the impression I should anyway).

              Let me be clear about all this first with one thing though: this IS NOT to blame in any way for this burnout, it's ONLY to shed light on this, help others even. 

             First, you MUST acknowledge it. I thought perhaps for years I'd just been really busy, but the tired moments wouldn't leave, then I realized this was more as I prayed over it and listened as Jesus revealed different things to me with it. It was tough to admit, but it was burnout that has been hitting me. Second, you must learn manageable ways to respond to it that are healthy. For me I've had to adjust pace, take the larger tasks a little at a time, and step away from the overwhelming difficult moments (through holding onto truths and promises in my mind and heart in the moment even) and these have been a few ways. It looks different for everyone, but somehow we MUST get away from those ways and break the hold they have on us. The last thing is to simply pause sometimes, focus your attention on where you are and what is happening around you. This may sound the same as the second thing I mentioned, but it isn't. The second one is an actionable step(s) while this one is an INTERNAL step and NOT merely a literal one. THIS is HOW you get to those actual steps. Sometimes this will require you to take precious seconds (if you're that busy), but take them, they are well spent. You.will.recover. 

         I am not expert here. I have not mastered this giant called burnout, nor do I have it all figured out (I wanna be clear on that). Each time someone faces this, there are things that will be the same, and others more personal that are different (like the actionable HEALTHY steps you find to "reset"). You are NOT a failure, you are NOT beyond help, and you are NOT alone (Psalm 34:18, Isaiah 41:10, Psalm 46:1). There will be slow motion through it, but you'll make it. 

         Look after all who walk through burnout Jesus that You would be known and followed, that Your love for them and Presence with them would be clear to them; that there would be healing and wholeness in their lives. In Your name I pray Jesus, amen. 

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