What I Need To Live Well

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.

—Psalm 91:4

I’m in a season that’s kind of bonkers. I have busy a calendar, but more than that, I have a lot to think through, get right, get written, create, and communicate. And I’m going into it a little bit fried—quick to tears, waking up in the night, ragged and rough-edged. So this morning I asked myself what I need to live well through this season. What needs to be added to the calendar? What needs to be shifted? What choices will help me? What will only make things harder?

I made a plan for this next month. Then I closed my computer, and I got a massage, complete with candles and ylang ylang essential oils for relaxation.

My impulse is always toward work, pushing, guilt, rushing. But what restores me, what allows me to interact well with my family, what allows me to get good writing done, is almost always the opposite. And I’m finding that when I practice things like rest, grace, peace, prayer, self-care and slowness, the work gets done just the same. Well, just the same except less crying and less apologizing to my family. I’ll take it.