Russell Media - Laurie

Last week was our kids’ Spring Break so, Mark and I took the week off and we all headed to Disneyland. Now to some this may sound more like torture than a vacation – especially when you consider that we drove there from Boise, ID (Yep…15 hours in the car each way!) But it was a great time.

I love Disney – it is the land of adventure but it’s also the land of meltdowns for both parent and child. Thousands of people corralled through a handful of entry points who then walk miles, only to wait in line for hours (in all kinds of weather), for a 30 second ride.

Expectations are high. Kids are over excited. All it takes is one little kink for one’s patience to implode and we’re over reacting and saying things we don’t really mean.

Talk about highs and lows of emotions.

Space Mountain was our kids’ favorite roller coaster and we rode it numerous times. On one occasion we were loaded up in our seats, ready to go when one of the workers casually stepped in front of our train and pulled us to another track and behind a curtain.

Initially we were all making jokes with other passengers but internally I was irritated. The ride before Mark and Noah had been stuck on another roller coaster for 40 minutes. It seemed like we were spending a lot of our time dealing with broken machinery.

Moments later another car pulled up next to us. It was a family of 4. In the front seat were the son and his mother. She was gray and unconscious. It was scary and emotional. Praise God she was okay but for a moment we were unsure.

Later that day Mark and I talked about how impressed we were with the Disney staff and the way they handled the situation. There was potential for panic to arise in a small area filled with hundreds of people. The staff remained calm and only a handful of people were aware of the medical emergency that took place.

The Disney employees knew what to do and immediately worked as a team to help this family in need. They were young and handling a situation most twenty-year-olds never face. They obviously had been trained well by Disney in what to do in this circumstance.

There are times when my daily life is interrupted and my reaction is not the best. I dramatize it only to regret it later. Many times this is due to my spirit not being properly trained or prepared for the day. When I neglect the time and focus needed to condition my heart to handle the trials of life, my response is often not glorifying to God.

But, when my heart is prepared with prayer and time communing with God, I have a peace that transcends all understanding. In the midst of chaos, there is an unexplainable calmness enabling me to meet the need at hand.

How do you find peace in the midst of the stress of life?

Do you have any stories of see God’s peace in the midst of trial?

"I don’t think I love God anymore.”

Did I just say that out loud?

My gaze searched the faces of the ladies in my Bible study. They were now silent and appeared to be waiting for me to finish my statement and to soften my words. But I was tired of faking it.

He had become a joyless obligation. I served out of duty and told others about him to fulfill a requirement. My language, lifestyle and dress were determined by a set of guidelines. My face wore an eternal smile by day but my heart was filled with apathy and nagged awake with doubts at night.

I had questions that I was afraid to ask and they were draining the lifeblood out of my soul. It wasn’t until one night as I prepared for the next days Bible study, God pushed me in a corner and asked me, “Do you love me? Do you truly love me?”

“I don’t know. I want to, I’m trying to but I don’t know what to do.”

Finally an older member in the group responded, “Of course you love God. You’re just a little burned out right now. It’ll get better.”

She was right, sort of. I was a full-time mother of young kids, in full time ministry. That’s hard work. However, I was doing everything I knew of to refuel and tap into God – Bible study, church, serving, praying – I even occasionally took real Sabbaths. Why wasn’t it working? Something else was missing. What had caused me to question my love for a God who had always been faithful?

Burnout is like a virus that sneaks up on you. It may instantly knock you out but there are usually symptoms working as red flags, warning us that we’re coming down with something. But…these flags may not be red, rather beige and not easily seen unless we know what to look for.

Part of me feels it’s trickier to see and prevent spiritual burnout. It’s not always easy to recognize and may be harder to reverse it. Who wants to say, “I feel a little burned out on God” or “I would like to serve in the nursery but it’s hurting my relationship with God.” Nope – it’s too hard to admit and embarrassing to say. But it’s true, it happens and it’s real.

God created us to work and be productive but not to run ourselves into the ground. He also formed us to love him and each other – authentically. A balance is needed, one that can be found in a transparent relationship with ourselves, others and God.

I guess in a sense you can say that I had a spiritual breakdown. It took me honestly going before God and honestly telling him the condition of my heart. It was then that God began revealing personal hindrances in my life that prevented me from experiencing a true love for him. I can still find myself bordering burnout - but by being honest with God and myself I now see the warning flags before they turn red.

Do you ever deal with spiritual burnout?

What are the warning signs God’s given you?

Any insight to help others?