When things all seem too much

Written by Naomi Buckler

It was just after I’d written an article about all the things to do to get ready for the new term, when my toddler group was about to restart and I hadn’t done any of them! So I emailed a friend:

“At the moment I’m trying to get myself motivated to start our toddler group again tomorrow. We haven’t had a chance to meet up as a team (because of holidays) and so it all seems to be on my shoulders, and I do find running the group so hard.

“I absolutely believe in it, and my heart goes out to all those families who come, but day to day, the burden of leadership is difficult. Perhaps it’s because I’m busy doing so many other things; I don’t know ... perhaps I should start praying for someone else to lead. Of course, now Alex is off to school things will change. I’m not sure what it will be like to go to the group without him.”

Encouragement

She emailed me right back and gently encouraged me to keep going, and spoke of her own journey too. She also said how helpful it can be for us to acknowledge that we all sometimes struggle – so that’s why I’m sharing this with you now.

So if you are finding it difficult to keep going at the moment – you’re in good company. And remember, even if we don’t always see the results of the hard work we put in, we are sowing seeds in people’s lives, which we hope will bring results in years to come – not just in the adults’ lives, but in the lives of the children too.

Or perhaps you can think of someone who desperately needs encouragement right now. You could send them a text or email to remind them how important they are.

Naomi Buckler, 2008

If you need a dose of encouragement today, here’s a short, inspiring article from Care for the Family’s regular ‘Engage Today’ email newsletter for churches who want to engage with families in their community. You can sign up to receive Engage Today here.

Last Updated 21 January 2009