Here's to laying down that bag of potatoes

Hello all,What a gorgeous day it is…snow swiftly falling(and not sticking yay!) and making everything look so beautiful. I love tree branches covered in snow. It makes me happy.As we near the end of February, I am reminded of all of the beautiful blessings that have already come my way in 2015. Small simple things and reassurances that I am headed in the right direction. Thank you Lord! And I mean that with all my heart :) If it weren't for the good Lord constantly watching over me I am not sure where I would be…staying on track is a conscious daily effort. It's daily reminding myself to stop and take my vitamins, to eat healthy and read my devotion, say my prayers…whew…I am serious, some days it will be 10pm and I don't even know where the day has gone.I have had people from time to time say to me that my life looks easy, that things just seem to happen or come together for me…(my mouth drops open) Seriously??? No way...As anyone who works, owns their own business or is raising children can attest…this ain't no easy thang! In fact, it's crazy hard and stressful and overwhelming at times. It's almost more than I can take some days. BUT….thank the Lord, I have faith in the good Lord and he is with me every step of the way. He holds me up when I can't stand anymore and spurs me on when I am spent and feel like I just can't keep going. I honestly don't know where I would be if I didn't have him holding me up everyday…scary thought. So easy? Heck no! Raising a family and working, building a business is a beast!! It's like climbing a mountain while carrying several 50 pound bags of potatoes! My oh my!The truth is…life is hard and we aren't perfect…we are broken. We were created broken and will remain broken because it is in that brokenness that we need Jesus. It's his way of bringing us back to him so that he can love us. If I could say one thing about Jesus that I think most people misinterpret it would be that he is all about rules, that he expects us to be perfect, not to make mistakes; that if we don't follow the rules and behave perfectly he looks down on us and we are unworthy of his love. That couldn't be further from the truth!!Yes, we are unworthy, yes, we are sinners and we make mistakes BUT he already knew we would. He is the one who gave us free will. He knows we will be imperfect and fall occasionally. And every time we do, there he is to pick us up, brush off our knees and help us to stand again. Every time. I find peace in that. I find strength in that. And I live my life KNOWING he will be there when I fall and when I am so weak and exhausted from my crazy life that I can't stand on my own anymore.Here's another thought for you…how much does that bag of potatoes you are carrying really weigh? What are you really carrying in that sack? Is it worth it? I get it. No one wants to appear weak or unsuccessful. No one wants for others to see that they are tired and worn out, that they are sick to death of keeping up with everyone else and pretending to be something we are not. I get it. I do it. I am the worst at staying busy because in the stillness I can see ALL of me. Yep, all of me and I don't always like what I see. If I keep busy, I don't have time to look at me or the path I am on too closely. Can you relate?Are you busy? Are you carrying loads of potatoes up mountains everyday? Are you pushing and pushing for success that meets the expectations of others? Success that looks good and even feels right but do you wonder where the path is leading you? It is in this pursuit of this perfect life and perfect Facebook posts, SnapChat stories and Instagram posts, that we have to ask ourselves, are we living the lie? We have become masters at concealing our own heartache and disillusionment with this life. And there will come a day when we just can't do it anymore. We will fall on our knees or our flat on our faces because we are spent, we are exhausted. Are you there yet? I am and I am over it and it feels soooo good!!I will still have mountains to climb with sacks of potatoes on my back…that's just how I am wired but I will be more conscious of what type of potatoes I am carrying and if those potatoes are worth the time, effort and energy. Life's too short and my Jesus has so many plans for me that I am afraid I might miss if I don't lay down a few bags of potatoes :)Here's to eliminating a few extra bags of potatoes and only carrying those that will make a difference in the lives of others. After all, we are here to serve others not ourselves.In his name,Kim Hoegger