Man, oh man.
It was one of those nightmares that you just can’t wake up from.
That night, mine didn’t include falling off cliffs and people weren’t chasing me with chainsaws. This bad dream seemed more “everyday.”
In my nightmare that never seemed to end, I was at a conference in a very large convention center. I had gotten separated from my group and I was frantically wandering hallways and stairwells to try and find someone I knew. My purse had been stolen, along with my cell phone. I just could not get my bearings.
Good grief. This was not a restful dream.
Looking back, I think my overloaded brain had simply followed me to bed. Too much to do. Too many things I wasn’t getting done fast enough. And that messy frustration of feeling like I couldn’t quite get my act together. My ducks weren’t even in the same pond.
Apparently, even in my sleep, I was trying to catch up.
You know what these dreams are like, right? You wake up for a few moments, but the dream still seems real. You try to go back to sleep, and the dream picks right back up.
I finally got out of bed, settled into my living room chair, and tried to find some quiet for my heart and mind. I decided to pray for peace.
What did I start praying?
“Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blest. Amen.”
The Table Prayer.
Not a prayer for peace. A table prayer. A prayer for the food that was obviously not in front of me.
Ooftah.
I whispered to myself, I can’t seem to get anything right.
And there it was.
That same frustration I’d been carrying around during the day. That little voice telling me I should be doing better. Getting more done. Getting my act together.
For Pete’s sake. Now I was criticizing myself for saying the wrong prayer!
You know, there are some days when you just need to show yourself some grace, right? This was one of those early mornings for me.
When I’m out of sorts and can’t shake the cobwebs out of my head, I usually give myself a little pep talk. Come on, Gaye, it’s OK. Get up and get moving. It’s just a dream.
But this time, I didn’t need another pep talk telling me to get moving.
I needed to stop. Breathe. And quit being so hard on myself.
I needed to be my own safe place to land.
And then just sit there for a while.
Without pressure to “do.” Without judging myself for being behind or not getting things done fast enough.
You know what I mean?
Fall brings new schedules, new routines, and longer to-do lists. Life picks up speed, and somehow, we convince ourselves that we should be able to keep up with all of it.
And when we can’t? Oh, the things we say to ourselves.
So.
Want to join me? Let’s create a Grace Club.
A Safe Place to Land Grace Club.
Let’s give ourselves permission to be human. To have messy days and unfinished lists without deciding we’re somehow falling short.
Show yourself some grace. Set the to-do list aside; the world won’t end if you do.
Take a break. Better yet, take a nap.
If you’re feeling like your body is struggling and your mind is straggling, take a deep breath.
Be your own safe place to land.
It’s OK to just sit for a while.
And then … get up and start again.
We’ve got this, friend.
You, me, and Grace.
