Mela Kamin – 4:10 Ministries

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Proverbs 31:28 “Her children arise and call her blessed . . .”

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Seriously? That must be other kids. I think my children will rise up and call me STRESSED.
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Lately, I’ve hung back, not saying much here because honestly, I was feeling irritated, frustrated, exhausted and yes, even angry – with circumstances, troubles in friends’ lives, the status quo, the magnitude of everything I have to do and the mounting list of what I want to do.
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Doesn’t sound like deep, uplifting content, does it?
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Well, I’m usually tempted to gloss over the problems and put on the mask of my “brand” – happy, joyful, carefree, filled with love, patience and other fruit of the spirit.
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I don’t want to use this journal as a place to dump what’s dirty in my life, but I don’t want it to be a reflection I don’t recognize either.
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Let me be clear – I know I’m blessed, even when I’m stressing. I realize how tiny & pointless my stresses are. Perspective lets me know I’ve got it SO good. But, that doesn’t minimize how BIG my struggles seem sometimes. The weight of everyday disappointments and my perception of others’ expectations is HEAVY.
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Things bother me, I have issues, I snap at my kids, I moan and groan in lumbering sighs every time I look around at what needs to be done.
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Truthfully, I waste time reading blogs and using Twitter & Facebook – trying to do “what’s right” – building my brand, upsizing my digital footprint, making connections. I have no problem with social media and the tools, but I didn’t have a good handle on my life before those arrived on the scene. Now, they took the place of other necessary activities and the possibility of me having free time.
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Free time is a thing of the past – I feel like I need to be using every minute to be visible or I’m a failure – ME, ME, ME – Hey, look at me! It’s self-imposed chaos and has turned into a prideful activity.
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• I read A LOT, but it’s usually not the Bible.
• I pray, but it’s often rushed and lacks a silence and depth I long for.
• I spend time with my kids, but it’s usually shuffling them from place to place and managing my ability to get “work” done with them around.

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I’m not shutting out the world – I’m usually shutting them out of mine.
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I need to say NO, so that I can free myself up to be able to say YES when God asks something of me. My stresses are red flags that tell me I’m disconnected from Him and those He’s put in my life.
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Blessings are God-made – Stresses are man-made.
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So, if you don’t hear from me for a while, it’s not because I don’t have anything to say – it might just be because I’m listening more.
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Shutting up is Biblical. Look it up.
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I’d be interested to hear what you think. Would you be called blessed or stressed?