Have you ever felt a little burned out on life? That's where I have been. A dark cloud settled over me for a month or so and I had a really hard time shaking free from it. As I look back now, I see that I was on a road to destruction of sorts. I am the "yes" girl to much - too much! People ask for help, people need help, I generally say yes to just about anything. But, to my demise, all these little "yes-es" turn into a big pile of stress on my shoulders. I suppose I felt that since I am a stay-home mom, I need to do a lot to fill my time. But as my family suffered for it, I realized I needed to change some priorities.
In the midst of my valley, I walked into a book store and prayed in front of the Christian section. "Lord, please give me something here that will help." I spotted Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado. I do not like self-help type books, but I know I can read this author. I went to pay for it.... no wallet. The next morning I was debating if I should spend the money and go back for it. I went it to glance at it. I opened it to a page that said in the caption, "Jesus said no to good things to say yes to the right thing." This was a book I had to read.
It is a really good book for figuring out what you are supposed to "be" while here on earth. God has given each person unique gifts that they are supposed to use to serve in the kingdom of God. The back cover reads:
"Sweet spot." Golfers understand the term. So do tennis players. Ever swung a baseball bat or paddled a Ping-Pong ball? If so, you know the oh-so-nice feel of the sweet spot. Life in the sweet spot rolls like the downhill side of a downwind bike ride. But you don't have to swing a bat or a club to know this. What engineers give sports equipment, God gave you.A zone, a region, a life precinct in which you were made to dwell. He tailored the curves of your life to fit an empty space in his jigsaw puzzle. And life makes sweet sense when you find your spot.
But if you're like 87 percent of workers, you haven't found it. You don't find meaning in your work--or you're one of the 80 percent who don't believe their talents are used. What can you do? You're suffering from the common life, and you desperately need a cure.
Best-selling author Max Lucado has found it. In Cure for the Common Life he offers practical tools for exploring and identifying your own uniqueness, motivation to put your strengths to work, and the perfect prescription for finding and living in your sweet spot for the rest of your life.
The chapters help you to discover how God made you so very special, and how you shouldn't be discouraged if you are not like others or have their gifts. There is even a chapter to help you help your kids to find their gifts as well. The end gives a quiz of sorts to help you unravel and sort out your sweet spot and it really gets you thinking. I thought this book was excellent and I highly recommend it.
I am coming out of my valley now and feeling much better. Was it hormones? Maybe. Was it stress? Likely. Was it not living where I was supposed to be? For sure. I haven't quite figured out everything yet, but that's okay. I am thinking, praying, and working on it and if you read this book I hope it will encourage you, too!
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