In Case You Need Permission

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“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NKJV).

Reflection

It was a typical Tuesday. I’d spent the morning reading the Scriptures and couldn’t wait to dive into writing my book. I’d carved out 8 precious hours of “focus time,” yet the words wouldn’t flow. As every minute ticked on the clock, I sat in agony. My words were a drought, my fingers shriveled and my mind empty. 

By the time the fifth hour had passed, I was still staring at a blank screen. I should’ve thrown in the towel and worked on another task. It was clear the words weren’t meant for this day. Instead, I refused to give myself a break. I refused to switch tasks. I was determined to be productive. 

It wasn’t until conversing with my counselor that I realized taking care of myself sometimes means taking a break and switching gears. As writers, we’re taught to put others above ourselves. We write to serve our audience. We have something they need to hear and pour ourselves out until we’re empty. 

Nothing is fun about re-living trauma, but rehashing it to help others becomes our mantra. 

Nothing is easy about embracing physical pain with hope, but you press on knowing someone else out there, just like you, needs to hear what you have to say. 

But friend, Jesus never asked us to pour from an empty cup. He asked you to care for yourself so that you can care for others, and this applies to those of us who are writers. 

It’s easy to think that since we aren’t physically interacting with our audience, we’re not serving them. That’s a lie. The words we write, the podcasts we produce, the books we publish, the live events we participate in, the quiet times with God we cultivate—all of these things matter. And yet, I get the feeling maybe a few of you need to hear this:

In case you need permission, or your heart and mind need convincing: 

* You’re allowed to take care of yourself first. 

* You’re allowed to change the plans and switch gears. 

* You’re allowed to take a step back, breathe, and process. 

* You’re allowed to rest and wait. 

* You’re allowed to heal before helping others heal. 

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