Hitting Pause

Like so many first-year teachers, I went into my classroom and was not nearly as prepared as I thought I was. The first month or so seemed to be okay, but things started slowly falling apart, flaws were showing and by November I was on the fast road to burn out. I knew something was missing, but it wasn’t until God lovingly smacked me upside the head and said, “Hello!!!!” that I realized I’d put him on the backburner. I had been trying to do everything on my own, and that is what left me feeling exhausted and done-in.

I started reprioritizing. I put church and my devotionals and church back at the top of the list, and it was at this time I re-stumbled upon Matthew 11: 28, which says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

I know that sometimes, that this verse is overused, but it really resonated with me at the time. Because I realized, I’d been trying to do everything on my own, thinking that under my own strength and power I could be the teacher my students needed. I was lying to myself.

I had put Jesus on the backburner and it showed in my attitude. I was drained and felt as though I had nothing else to give. When I came to him, gave over the reins of my teaching, I found rest, and I found peace, and I found that it is okay to hit pause. Seemingly small things, quick prayers with Jesus, make a big difference. As I went forward in my teaching, I found that even thirty-second pauses, something my students wouldn’t even be aware of, gave me moments of rest that let me continue on fresh and peaceful.

Today it is easy to get so wrapped up, so involved that you exhaust yourself. And every woman has their own mixture of commitments to family, school, work, church, friends. What exhausts one of us may leave another feeling exhilarated and full. Think about what and when do you just become exhausted, what leaves you feeling drained? What keeps you up at night?

When you feel that way, do you ever hit the pause button? Do you take a step back and tell God? Because one thing God has showed me in the past 2 years, sometimes you just need to hit the mental pause button and take a moment to rest in him. Reminding yourself of his goodness and not of everything around you, it keeps things in perspective. So, I challenge you, next time you start feeling emotionally or mentally heavy, just hit the pause button.

Ally Nelsen