Feeling Burdened?

Has anyone been feeling overwhelmed? Burdened by the challenges of life? It may just be me, but I doubt it. Many of you have read my books and know that I have always talked about creating a schedule of priorities so that the most important things are never at the mercy of the least important things.
Well, over the past few months, I have walked away from that.

It was subtle at first.  I decided that I didn't want to go to mass during the week.  I could just stay home to read and journal; but then I didn't. The praise music radio station began playing the same 4 songs over and over, so I turned the dial and never turned it back.  I taught a bible study last fall, so I did not attend the one offered at my church.  Mine ended in December, but I chose not to return to the group study this spring.  I typically read 6-8 books a month.  I've read one since Christmas and it was A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway.  A great book, but not spiritually enriching.
I have been spiraling, lost in wave after wave of discouragement, disillusionment and despair. The challenges that my family are facing in our life right now are enormous and numerous.  I invest hour after hour every day trying to solve these problems and with no success.  What are we going to do?
Yesterday, two dear friends reminded me of who I am and challenged my recent choices.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

How could I possibly think that I would ever be able to find my way out of this place on my own?  I know better. I know that without my Source of strength and his grace, I can only stumble. 

I am grateful, Lord that I am NOT God

I am not God and I am not responsible for solving all of the problems.  I am responsible for keeping my eyes on Him and trusting that He, who is able is working out all things for good. 

"Perhaps, in my apparent failures, God is working out a success for himself.  Perhaps by my falling down, missing the mark, or disappointing others I am exactly where God wills me to be.  Lord, I ask that you will help me to view my success and failure through the lens of eternity and not merely my limited human awareness.  Use my every effort to build Your kingdom and please give me the grace to believe that sometimes, even my failures are part of the master plan."

Have you walked away from Him?  Have you started taking your life into your own hands and attempting to figure it all out? If you are feeling overwhelmed, I encourage you to ask yourself these questions and return to Him, the source of all hope.

"I am grateful because the Spirit that calls me every moment and especially every morning keeps calling even when I don't come.  He keeps wooing, keeps asking, keeps tempting me with himself.  He allows my safety nets, my temporal securities to waver and crumble because of his deep love for me.  He knows that he is the only One that can sustain me and keep me safe.  His love allows my false cornerstones to crack and shift so that I am reminded that there is only one true foundation."

You are not alone.  You are not responsible for everything. Do your work, allow others to do theirs and most importantly, let God do His...He is much more able and certainly more knowledgeable.  "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

For the joy of it

I have been a part of the direct selling industry for almost twenty years.  Twenty years?!  How did that happen? Similar to most people in this profession, I did not go looking for this career.  I had other plans and other dreams that included writing, a husband, children, and friendships.  But it never would have included direct sales. This job found me and much to my surprise, it has provided me with the income and flexibility to have the opportunity to write, enjoy time with my husband, raise my own children, and develop some incredible friendships.  
This industry gets a bad rap and I must admit there are many things that I do not like about what I do.  (Do you know any working person who can't name some things that he or she doesn't like about a certain job? I think not.) The founder of our company says that 80% of what we do is positive and 20% is for the birds. I would agree.  Most of what we have the opportunity to do is not only positive, but exceptional. So let's not focus on the 20%.  

 Who is involved in direct selling?
 An estimated 15.9 million people are involved in direct selling in the U.S., and more than 90 million worldwide. About 80 percent of US direct sellers are women. The vast majority are independent business people - they are micro-entrepreneurs whose purpose is to sell the product and/or services of the company they voluntarily choose to represent - not employees of the company. 

This industry provides the opportunity to make a great deal of money, but I became involved twenty years ago to be able to stay home with my children, not to become a millionaire.  When I switched companies eleven years ago, I had witnessed the income potential and I hit the ground running.  We have built a very successful organization filled with incredible women and families.  We have enjoyed the privilege of speaking into their lives and watching them grow into successful people, not just successful business owners.  But now what? The business that had begun as a way to stay home with my children becomes the thing that keeps me distracted from them.  The pressure of keeping this business going diminishes the relationships that it is built upon.  Particularly with my company, direct selling should be about relationships.  It is about serving people, sharing hope with them and honoring God by our actions toward others. That is a blessing and there is joy in that. There is purpose and fulfillment in a life lived serving others and bringing hope. If that is true, then why do I feel so stressed and discouraged?  
Perhaps it is because of how those of us in the business are viewed by others. Even when we truly do want to help people raise money for a fundraiser or throw a party to cheer up a girlfriend, we are often seen as self-promoting.  That can be very discouraging.

I have been talking with many of the ladies on our team about this and realize that many others are feeling the same way.  Yes, we do earn a living by selling to people, but that doesn't have to mean that our intentions are self-serving.Yes, we can make a great deal of income doing this business, but when the income becomes necessary, even vital to the financial stability of the family, the pressure to earn bullies the desire to serve and the whole point can be lost.  

I want to encourage people today, perhaps especially myself, to run this business for the joy of it. Stop striving to get somewhere and start being more effective where you are. Being the top sales person means very little if it damages a family, a marriage, or makes the customers feel used.  If each person would focus on the blessing she can be today to another person, and if every sale we make is truly more about the interaction with that customer, and if challenging our teams to work hard  becomes more about helping them than helping ourselves, then we can do this business for the joy of it and trust that in serving and loving, our needs will be met.  

I still do not love this career.  I still have so many things that I want to do outside of this. But what I do love is the opportunity to be a blessing to someone else, to inspire someone to become a better version of herself, to laugh with a hostess who hasn't laughed all day, but is happy you came over.  Hold onto what is good. Hold on to that 80% positive and let everything else work itself out.  Do not allow the pessimists to squelch the belief that we truly can serve here. Be a blessing and strengthen this industry by making it more about the relationship with each individual person and less about personal accomplishment.  The joy of that will be contagious and everyone will want to be a part of that joy.

Lent

It has been a while since I've shared and as we begin the practice of Lent tomorrow, I wanted to share my thoughts.
I really want to have a good lent. But what does that mean? 

For me, it means simplifying, scaling back on the worldly things. It means pulling back from indulgence, abundance, and excess in order to clean out my soul. Lent is a detox for the soul. I want to feel refreshed, renewed on Easter Sunday- ready to receive all the goodness of the resurrection.
Giving something up for lent isn't an old fashioned, meaningless ritual unless of course, that's how we practice it. The Church gives us touch-points, a cadence to our year that helps us to grow in holiness. There are times of fasting and sacrifice, and there are times of celebration and excess. So no, lent isn't about merely giving up some treat or vice, it is about recognizing how many things come between us and God, and our willingness to let go of even just one of these as an offering to Him, as a way of saying...yes, I really love this, but I love You more. I will let go of this to make room in my heart, my thoughts, and my schedule for more of You. 

Choosing to see God as the center of our lives is difficult with all of the other distractions of our world today.  But don't be too quick to blame our culture.  The practice of lent and the sacrifice that we are called to make came about long before technology, television, or even electricity.  We are distracted because we are broken.  We choose to replace God as the center of our lives, not because there are so many other more appealing things vying for our attention, but because we believe we could do something better.  We believe that we have something more important, more valuable to add; as if God didn't create everything perfectly already.  We put ourselves at the center of everything, regardless of how many or how few gadgets we choose to purchase. We can become distracted with our own thoughts of grandeur which lead us away from God.
Choose to see lent, not as a church-thing or an obligation, but as a season of sacrificial discipline during which we prepare our hearts for Easter in the same way that Jesus sacrificed in the desert prior to his ministry. Choose to practice this season of sacrifice if only to admit that we often supplant God from His rightful place in our lives and in our hearts. If I want to produce better fruit, I must first take this time to willingly be pruned. Yes, Lord. I am here and willing.