When Is It Too Much?

 It was a busy time. His disciples had been off on trips with lots of excitement. They had just gotten news that a good friend had been killed. Many people were demanding their attention. So finally he told his disciples it was time to get some time to themselves to rest, so they got in a boat to get away.

Heading to wedding event

There are lots of ways to talk about setting boundaries, prioritizing self-care, knowing your limits. Part of being a healthy adult is about learning when and how to say ‘no’ to things and take time for yourself. You can’t be all things to all people. You can’t do everything.

On the islands, the struggle comes with invitations to attend events and ceremonies, to visit an English center, to go on an all-day picnic, to teach another class. These invitations are the foundation of our being part of island community. They facilitate our building relationships with islanders. We’re glad to have so many invitations! But we do have limits and what is too much?

When he arrived on the shore with his disciples for their ‘time away’, he found that a crowd had anticipated their trip and rushed ahead of them. But He didn’t turn around the boat to go somewhere else. He didn’t rebuke the crowd and tell them to leave him and his disciples alone. He had compassion and gave them attention and teaching. Then after another full day, He shows his disciples God’s amazing provision by feeding all 5000 people in the crowd with a minimal amount of food!

On the islands (like many in our kind of work), we don’t have the neat boundaries of a 9am-5pm workday, but we encourage our teammates to take a day off each week, to take time to relax and rest. But that doesn’t stop invitations from falling on our day off or filling an entire week. Plus, events are often of undefined duration and can even go into the wee hours of the night. Even when we are in top form, it can be hard, but we also have days when we’re sick, weeks where we’ve thrown out our backs, times when we have been so busy and just get so tired. But at the same time, we serve a great God and we have seen Him provide strength and energy at times when we were lacking. He has seen us through busy and tiring times, so perhaps we’re meant to just say ‘yes’ and keep seeing Him provide, seeing Him take our little and make it much.

A different wedding event this week

After the crazy evening, He was quick to make sure his disciples got back in the boat and head off away from the crowds. He stayed, sent the crowd away and then went off by himself to pray.

Ultimately trusting God will take us in different directions at different times. Sometimes God wants to stretch us and use us in our weakness, when we’re tired or sick or stretched thin. But sometimes God wants us to stop and rest, sometimes He wants to remind us that it doesn’t all revolve around us. He wants us to just sit and wait and see Him use others.

My back gave out right before the week of a close friend’s wedding.  I threw my back out from doing too much—but a wedding is not something I could postpone or say no to completely.  God saw me through with a mixture of staying at home and seeing God provide and sustain me through wedding events.

Yet another wedding event this week

Deciding when to push forward and when to rest takes discernment and humility, which only God can give. It takes the self-awareness of knowing where my heart is in the moment of decision and where I am looking for my strength. Are my eyes on myself or are they lifted up?  I fail in this often— in both directions. Sometimes I am selfish and prioritize my own needs and desires. Sometimes I try to do too much myself, not trusting that I can get away and rest, or not letting God use others to serve me and do the things I normally do. I need this lesson often. Thankfully He is patient  and keeps giving me the chance to keep on learning!

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Megan’s back is doing much better and was able to make appearances at several wedding events without re-hurting her back. The boys are almost done with their exams and haven’t been overly stressed. Our teammate has seen some improvement in her allergy symptoms. We were able to celebrate our older son’s 12th birthday this weekend (a little early). We are so thankful for him! There was a picnic on Sunday with some island brothers and sisters and got to celebrate a special swim with a new island brother.  

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Our medical teammates made it to the big island and had a meeting at the ministry of health. They have been given a long list of things they have to do before they can get approval to start work. They are grateful for this progress after waiting for months, but please pray that they would be able to jump through the necessary hoops and get authorization soon (and that this long process would make it easier for future medical workers). There is only one week before fasting begins on the island- pray for our heart preparation for this time as it is a time of great spiritual fervency, legalism, and searching.