God doesn’t deal with me in great big plans, with step-by-step instructions and excel spreadsheets filled out and color-coded. He’s aware all of that advance planning would freak me out. I’d be over the edge with anxiety at the prospect of having to do too much preparation, or make big announcements, or strategize and implement.
So it should come as no surprise to anyone that today, as my small group left my house and I wandered back inside to shut off the DVD we’d been watching, I clearly felt the need for “Off.”
It was undeniable, and over the course of my forty-nine years, I have learned the best thing to do when I receive these types of insights is to simply do what I’ve been told. I’m not going to debate this one. It seems exactly right.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been agitated and had what I can only describe as a sense of overwhelmed wandering hanging out in the space right behind my heart (or, at least where I imagine my heart to be). I’ve got a lot on my plate this season. And sometimes I worry that I don’t have my priorities in order, or that I’m missing the most important thing in the middle of all the things.
Today, as I traced my finger over the mouse on my laptop, searching for a way to turn off the DVD, it felt as if God was telling me I needed thirty-one days of “Off.”
Last night, before I went to bed, I checked in with God. I know today is the day hundreds, maybe even thousands of you are launching your 31 Days blog series. Someone messaged me a few days ago to ask if I’d be writing a 31 Days series this year and I told her, “I don’t think so this year. I’m not hearing anything from God on that one.” And I wasn’t. But last night, just to be sure, I asked God, “Are you sure there isn’t anything I’m supposed to be writing about for the next 31 days?”
Nothing. Another thing I’ve learned in my 49 years? If God doesn’t say, “Go!” don’t go. So, I turned off the light and went to sleep.
As it turns out, it would seem that not only am I not supposed to write a 31 Day series, but I’m not supposed to write in this space at all for 31 Days. Well, I don’t even need to tell you all the red flags I thought would pop up as soon as I realized where God was leading me. But, surprisingly, all I felt was relief. You know how you know a thing is the right thing for you? Yep. That’s what it felt like for me.
Finding this out today means I didn’t have a plan to tell you I won’t be writing here for the month of October. I didn’t need to line up any guest posts, because there won’t be any. If you click here in October, all you’ll see is this same post. For 31 days. And I’m more than okay with that. Maybe I’ll have some great insight to share with you when I come back to this space. Maybe I won’t. All I know for sure right now is that I’m supposed to take the month off.
For those of you who participate in The Sunday Community, I hope you’ll forgive the short notice. I just have to believe “Off” means “Off.” So let’s all take a break, okay? I’ll bring back the link-up in November. Thank you for your faithful participation and support of one another. Let’s meet back here next month.
For those of you writing your own 31 Days series, I am cheering you on! It’s not a small thing to write on one topic for 31 Days. By the same token, it’s a great experience! I pray you find parts of you you didn’t realize were missing, and that the interaction fills up wells inside of you you didn’t realize had grown dry.
Grace and peace, everyone! I’ll see you in November!