Spread Too Thin - An All-about-me Life

Spread Too Thin - An All-about-Me Life

DO YOU FEEL like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? Are you stressed out because there’s just not enough of you to go around? If so, you’ll be able to relate.

It was a bit uncharacteristic of me, but not too long ago, I had a total meltdown. Yep—driving down the road—I couldn’t see a thing for all the rain (and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky).

Here’s what had happened just minutes before: I was running late to a meeting. Not just any meeting. This one was with our adult son, Scott, who had recently returned after being missing for over three years and was going through rehab. As I headed out the door, it dawned on me that I was double booked—in addition to the commitment with Scott, I had two conference calls scheduled for the afternoon.

On top of that, my head was swimming, as mothers’ heads do—when had I last called our daughter? It’s always the child who is not in crisis who seems to get the short end of the stick. My cell phone was ringing off the hook as I fished around my purse for my keys and headed to the car. Steve was pulling up the rear as we headed out to lunch.

It was while we were standing there in our office parking lot that Steve and I had a major communication snafu on a very minor issue (isn’t that how it always is?). I needed to take my car; he suggested we should drive together. I snapped back a thoughtless response about my lack of “me” time and the state of my personal energy crisis. He implied that I was having an “all about me” moment.

Oh . . . puuhhllleeeeaaassseeee.

All about me? All about me?

It took me until about seven that evening to realize he was right. I was having an all-about-me life, because I had encouraged others to depend and rely on me to the point that it wasn’t healthy—for any of us. Nor was it fair.

How often we needlessly, selfishly carry the burden alone—not allowing those who care for and love us to shoulder part of our load. How egotistical we must appear; how others must feel that we don’t value them or trust them to help us resolve issues or fix problems. By 3 a.m. I had surrendered my hold on the weight I’d been dragging around.

The LORD helps the fallen and lifts those bent beneath their loads. (Psalm 145:14)

Are you carrying a burden alone too?