Saturday, April 1

 Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

When my oldest child was born and I struggled to comprehend all the expectations and responsibilities motherhood brought, a friend of mine gave me a copy of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's A Gift From The Sea. Although finding time for myself was a challenge, I managed to steal a few moments each day to enjoy and recognize the wisdom of this priceless book:

For to be a woman is to have interests and duties, raying out in all directions from the central mother-core, like spokes from the hub of a wheel. The pattern of our lives is essentially circular, we must open to all points of the compass; husband, children, friends, home, community; stretched out, exposed, sensitive like a spider’s web to each breeze that blows, to each call that comes. How difficult for us … to remain whole in the midst of the distractions of life, how to remain balanced, no matter what centrifugal forces tend to pull one off center; how to remain strong, no matter what shocks come in at the periphery and tend to crack the hub of the wheel.

During this Lenten Season, it is truly wonderful to recognize that as Christians we have Jesus as “the hub of our wheel.” Through Him we have no need for anxiety, even if at times we are overwhelmed by all that is expected of us. We never have to “do it all” alone. All we have to do is ask and the Good Shepherd is always there to guide us.

How often I turn to you, Gentle God, when I feel overwhelmed by all that is required of me. I am always amazed at the peace Your presence brings when I am overcome by stress or exhaustion or frustration. All I need to do is turn my thoughts to you to feel refreshed and renewed. You are always there for me, shepherding me through my daily work. Open my eyes to the ways I can serve you best. And in this season of Lent, let me keep you and the gift of your Son the focus of my days, for it is only with you that any of us find the balance we need. Amen.

Liz Sheridan, 1996