1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you;

As a mother of seven there are rarely moments of quiet in my home. It’s a busy day from the crack of dawn till the hours past the setting sun. And, honestly, I wouldn’t trade the noise, or the laughter, or even the constant movement for anything. Yet, still there are times where I need stillness. Not just quiet, but the stillness found by sitting at the feet of our Father and resting.

In surrender.

And that takes being intentional. When I notice that my emotions are at their end that is a signal to me that perhaps I haven’t spent enough time in prayer with my Lord and that instead I’m carrying my loads, my burdens, myself.

I race into the kitchen, open the fridge looking for ideas for dinner. The little ones are running loops — through the kitchen into the dining room into the living room, the front hall, and back to the kitchen. I hear cries for mom, that would be me,  from downstairs. And now, the tea kettle is starting to shrill, the tea kettle I put on for my now elusive late afternoon cup of tea on the front porch.

My heart is exhausted.

I was forgetting that there is time.

For everything there is a season,

and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die:

a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted:

a time to kill, and a time to heal;

a time to break down, and a time to build up;

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;

a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

a time to gather stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.”

It’s past the middle of January.

We’ve had a good three plus weeks to work on those resolutions. Over 26 days. Many hours. Maybe you’re right on track with those goals for 2011. Or maybe, just maybe, you’re like me and haven’t been perfect with those new resolutions. Or you stopped.

That’s okay.

Life isn’t about a one time commitment to change something. Developing a new habit involves persistence and constant diligence. Oh yeah, and faith. Faith? Yes, faith. Because deep down we need to begin to replace the doubts that we can do something with the new belief and mindset that we will accomplish those goals.