When You Just Can’t Rally

Sometimes life feels like a Transformers movie—nonstop, heart-straining action that lasts an hour too long.

No matter how busy we feel or how many obstacles dash into our path, we don’t stop moving. There’s always that next thing to do, accomplish, acquire, take care of. Navigating life can be an exhausting cycle of pull it together and get it done.

Whatever it is.

Wouldn’t it be great if life came with a TV remote? We could power down our day the same way we power down Transformers on Blu-ray. We could get a snack, take a bathroom break, let our hearts hit a normal beat before we dive back into the rush. When our world fell out of control, we could hit pause and return refreshed and ready.

But there are no life remotes. No pauses. No stops. No breaks.

So—what happens when you can’t rally? What happens when you can’t pull it together and get it done?

What happens when you’re emotionally, physically, and spiritually exhausted and the thought of walking one more foot, finishing one last project, cooking one more meal, driving one more place, dealing with one more crisis feels the same as trying to cut a hole through a brick wall with a broken toothpick?

My great aunt used to say, “When you don’t know what to do, don’t do anything.”

She was smart. I think her wisdom applies here. When you can’t do anything, do nothing. Just wait.

God has a version of my aunt’s saying too.

 

“Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14 NIV).

 

It’s scary to fall off life’s train of get it done. It feels as though you’ll never be able to jump back on. But maybe God has a different train He wants you to ride. Maybe there’s a new destination.

You’ll never know unless you stop trying to rally long enough to start listening.

When you can’t rally, learn to rest. Create your own pause button. Stop. Breathe. Watch. See what’s coming next. You’ve been slowed down for a reason.

Take time to ask why.

 

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Struggling with something more serious? Try Life is Messy or Surviving the Storm

4 Comments

  • Cherrye Vasquez

    Your aunt was very wise, Lori. Yes, just wait. Take it slowly, pray lots and just wait on the Lord. He will hear your cry/plea. HIS will be done.
    I wish only the best for you as you SO deserve it!

  • Polly Eckert

    It’s so good to read your posts again. Thank you. I know your hands are full at this time. I’m thinking of you and yours.

  • Marcus Smith

    You know, everything I dealt with last week didn’t exist the week before. From the emotional hailstorm of painful illness, to a litany of problems with one of my children. My life spiral was more like a hurricane.

    I also had a massive, and growing, pile of to-do’s from every corner. From my mother’s care to fighting fraud to (well the list could go on and on). But I only did what I had to do. All the new stuff. All the old I shoved into a drawer until Monday. But the voice in my head said that if I don’t – fill out this form the government will get angry – change my axle I can’t pass inspection – etc, etc, etc. And I shrugged. Am I the only person in history to be late with their mom’s pension update forms? There isn’t a fine. My car repairs + inspection? Can wait. I’ll drive a different vehicle. It was far from easy, but I have been learning a lot about my limits and how to wait on some things and prioritize others.

    Not that God’s gonna show up and fill in my form for me, but when the govt called to track down their paperwork the rep told me what I needed to do to never have to submit that paperwork ever again and I’ll count that as one blessing in an otherwise dark week.

    God’s Love to you all,

    Marcus

  • DiAne Gates

    Yay for you Lori!

    One of the most difficult things I am learning during my fifteen year journey through grief is to wait. Our society doesn’t teach that attribute and scowls on those who do.

    But waiting is an active verb. Being still before God requires attentive patience, alert hearing, and a willingness to obey when God speaks.

    And I’d love to tell you learning to wait is a once-in-a-lifetime course. It’s not. These past two weeks God has let me stew, be aggravated, and confused all because I didn’t come aside and wait. None of us are quick studies. Thank you God, You are patient and long-suffering with us.

    Great blog post! Oh the joy of lessons we learn when we listen and wait. May God bless you and all of yours this day!

    DiAne

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