“I waited patiently for the Lord; He turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” Psalm 40: 1-3
Burn out. It is not fun, but it happens to everyone. We can be going strong, enjoying dancing or whatever it is that we are doing, feeling passionate and inspired, motivated to set new goals to reach new heights or to improve, running on adrenaline, excited for what is going on in our dancing career or in our home life, but somewhere, somehow, a little slice of discouragement can creep in. It may be in the form of a comment made, a comparison made, or quite honestly, it can be because we are……get ready for it……TIRED.
I definitely have experienced (and still do!) these waves of burn out in my dancing career and even at home as a mom and a wife. I can be super gung ho, full throttle, enjoying every moment, loving dancing, and dreaming of continuing performing many, many years. But ever so often, something will chip away at my excitement. Something will discourage me. And little by little, I start to lose my zest and excitement for dancing. Have you been there? During those times, it is easy to want to give up, to quit. The audience sees the beauty of the performance, but only you know all the hard work, sweat, tears, pain, and sacrifice that has gone on behind the scenes to get that performance just right. Sometimes, do you catch yourself asking, is it worth all of this effort, time, and energy?
I have pondered quitting a few times. Thankfully, my mom and my husband, give me perspective. Most times, I am just TIRED. What do we do when we feel that sense of burn out? Today’s verse, says we can look to the Lord and He hears our cry. Tell Him how you are feeling. He will LIFT you out of that pit….that place of feeling burnt out…..He will give you a firm place to stand, and He will put a new song in your mouth…..or a new hop in your step! But notice the first part of the verse…..”I waited patiently for the Lord”. Give Him time to work. Be careful about making a rash decision to quit in a heated moment of frustration, or after a hard day at the studio, or when you are just feeling more emotional than usual, or when you are tired.
I want to encourage you to step away for some perspective. It is okay to take a break. Even in motherhood! Find a way to recharge, refuel, and rest. And remember, that although dancing as a career is all-consuming and difficult, and although motherhood is all-consuming and tiring, remind yourself why you enjoy it. Take a break with the Lord. Go to His Word to let Him recharge you. Let Him help you through these waves of burn out. Let Him help you put things into perspective. Let Him give you the rest you need. You are working so hard, so many hours of the day, and there are going to be times when you are tired. Being tired affects our emotions and our motivation. So when you start getting that sense of burn out, run to Him. And then, wait, He will refuel you and help you recapture the motivation to keep going. He will lift you up.
Prayer: “Dear Jesus, I am feeling that sense of burn out. Please carry me through these emotions. Help me step away for Your perspective and hold on to the promise that You will lift me out of this place.”
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