“Cleaning My Plate” by Morgan Hopper
“CLEANING MY PLATE”
by Morgan Hopper
I love to eat. I have ALWAYS loved to eat. To this day my mom brags about how I was such a good little eater. I’ve never passed up food, especially sweets, and I get “hangry” if I skip a meal. Just the facts, y’all.
I am also notorious for loading up my plate with more than I can handle. My stomach is NOT as big as my eyes, or willpower for that matter. Last year I found myself in the perfect situation to be as busy as possible. I loaded my plate up.
I was encouraged when I looked at my calendar and saw I was doing something with my hands or volunteering my time. So, that’s what I did.
I bought a few dozen books to read;
I made new friend;
I joined new groups;
I made my list of 100 things;
I started working out more;
I volunteered for everything I came across
and
I said “yes” to everything that everyone asked of me.
It didn’t happen immediately, but sure enough, the happiness that I had worked so hard to take back was slowly slipping away and being replaced by worldly busyness.
I’m not saying that I’m the busiest person in the world. I know some people are reading this and rolling their eyes thinking of all the things they do before I’m even out of bed in the morning. But I know that when I make myself too busy, I forget to glorify God in my actions and that I’m not living my life the way I want to.
The bible says, “be STILL and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
If I’m not taking time to be still and spend time in the Word, it’s easy for me to see where the problems with my peace have started. The second that I redirect and put God back in HIS rightful position, actively making Him my first appointment in the morning, happiness comes!
I’m just all around a more pleasant person with SOME JESUS in my life.
These last few months I have made a point to finish some projects on my plate and NOT pile on something else. It’s weird, and it makes me feel like there are a million things that I’m forgetting. To be totally honest, I think I’ve caught up on TOO MUCH rest – which you will not hear me complaining about any time soon.
This doesn’t mean that I’ve become a hermit and don’t enjoy doing fun things anymore. I just think twice before I say ‘yes’ to something that isn’t a priority right now.
At the end of the day, I know that I’m investing my time, treasure and talent into things that add value. My faith, family and health are much more important than any worldly satisfaction. I am thankful God gives me gentle and timely reminders.
This was most definitely a timely reminder before the holidays and I pray it will add value to your world as well!
Happy Thanksgiving!
About the Author: Morgan Hopper
Morgan is a Huntsville native who loves Jesus, rescue dogs and anything literary. She enjoys sharing about her walk with God and speaking life to everyone she meets. Morgan works for Fleet Feet Huntsville as a marketing director, which blends her adoration of running with her passion for helping others. Catch up with Morgan on her blog at https://southernlysaid.wordpress.com
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