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  • Writer's pictureAdventure Begins

Too Exhausted: Lighten your load

Updated: Aug 24, 2020

We were seated around the table, chatting before the meeting started. She sat across from me, arms folded and dark circles under her eyes. “When I get home," she said, "I throw my bags down, start picking-up clutter on the way to my bedroom, change my clothes, drop things off in the laundry, shelve toys, retrieve shoes, hang towels and then I head to the kitchen to start cooking.”


Everyone nodded in agreement.


One woman added, “I end my day shift and start my night shift.” We all laughed.


Each woman took turns relating her story and we realized we aren’t alone in our harried lives. Do you ever have these kinds of days? As women, we want a gourmet dinner on the table, kids who willingly eat what we cook, a job to exercise our creativity or, perhaps, to add to the household bottom line and we want a clean, organized home. Trying to pack 25 lbs into a 10 lb container has its costs. We’re left feeling tired or worse, burned out.


On holidays our family gathered at my mother-in-law’s house. Everyone brought food, shared stories and laughed throughout the day. In my home, my husband enjoys creating gourmet dishes. He cooks and I clean up and next time, we switch off roles, so neither of us is constantly doing the same task. Other times, he pitches in and does the laundry and I take on the task of folding. It works for us and removes the stress of one person doing everything.


Growing up, there were basic things I didn’t know how to do, because I didn’t receive any instruction. My first ‘paying job’ was doing household duties for an elderly woman in the neighborhood. I quickly discovered I didn’t know how to properly place bed sheets on a mattress or the correct order of a place setting around a dinner plate. Learning new tasks and skills contribute to self-esteem. It glorifies God, when every family member commits to the whole.


If you work outside the home or, in these Covid days, from home, you need extra hands to run a smooth household. Scottish poet, John Heywood had many sayings we're all familiar with. One of them is, "Many hands make light work."


Young poet/philosopher and author of seven books, Mattie Stepanek, was born with a rare form of muscular dystrophy and died before reaching age 14. One of his many quotes is, “Unity is strength... when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.”


Nehemiah tells us how the people of Israel came together to rebuild the ancient walls of Jerusalem after the exile. Each family contributed the talent they had and together, the work of rebuilding the wall was accomplished. (Nehemiah 3)


With many hands helping out, who knows, maybe you’ll have time to write a novel, pray for your family or call your mother. Do you have tips on how your household works together to contribute to getting a job done? I would love to hear from you.


Do share and thanks for stopping in; talk to you soon!


For I, the Lord your God,

hold your right hand;

it is I who say to you, “Fear not,

I am the one who helps you.” Isaiah 41:13 (ESV)





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