How much time do you waste trying to fix the unfixable?
Sometimes my day goes by so fast, and at the end of it I sit looking at my to-do list and wondering why so little seemed to get done.
It doesn’t take much reflection for me to realize it’s because I lost focus at some point during the day. Sometimes it’s just what happens to me – I lose focus as a part of well… being me.
But other times it’s because of reasons like:
- Someone said something that made me angry or frustrated or sad and it became all I could think about;
- I was reminded of an uncomfortable situation right when I thought I was home free dealing with it that day;
- I made a mistake mid-morning and it became my brain’s hyper focus for the rest of the day;
Or, and probably most often when this happens to me…
- I spent way too much time trying to work out in my head how I could fix something unfixable.
I think as a Christian I can get caught up in the idea that it is my responsibility to fix everything. I can get caught up in the idea that everything must be repaired. Whether it’s a relationship, a situation, or even an off-handed conversation that went sideways, I feel an enormous weight on my shoulders to repair it if I am a part of it.
And when I don’t… when I can’t… the guilt is overwhelming… and so distracting…
… and I hold on too tight for way too long.
But is the point really to repair everything?
Or is it instead sometimes to grieve what is broken, forgive, and move forward.
Staying stuck on the irreparable gives it enormous power over my day, over my joy, and over all the marvelous things this life is just waiting to offer me.
Why would God want that for me?
Why do I want that for myself?
So today, on this Monday morning, I’m praying for the grace to slow down just enough to identify what’s irreparable, place it in God’s hands, and step forward towards light.
Will you join me?
