#7 The Long Game

I like to say that a single day is a challenge we can rise to, but time makes a fool of us all. I think that’s true of our long winters as well. We might look at today and think “this day wasn’t so bad. What do I truly have to be tired about?” And that might actually be the case. Today might not have been half-bad. But look at the big picture: have you been going non-stop for a while? Have you been on overdrive all week, only to crash and burn on the weekends? Maybe today wasn’t so bad, but maybe there’s an ever-growing pile of today’s that are wearing you out. It’s easy to neglect long-term fatigue by being short-sighted.

Those chronic stressors can really do a number on us. Maybe next time we want to think “this isn’t so bad, I shouldn’t be feeling like this,” we should respond with “yeah, but I’ve been dealing with this for months now!” We neglect those little things that can really take their toll on us. They slip under the radar and bring us down from within. 

Similarly, we don’t notice gradual changes. Would you notice if tomorrow was one degree colder than today? Probably not. But you would notice ten degrees’ difference, right? So, if the weather got colder by one degree every day for a month, would you notice? Who knows? But by the end, you would still be going outside like everything is fine, when things have actually gotten significantly worse. 

We do this to ourselves sometimes. We let little things slide. We say it’s fine that we didn’t get a raise, despite inflation. It’s no big deal that gas costs a little more here than over there. And that two-dollar difference on bread? Who cares? It’s just two bucks, right? I’m not telling you to be obsessive over those little things, but take note of how they stack up. You may find that it makes a big difference in the long run.

To make things easier for ourselves, we should also improve our long-game. Take away some of the little burdens that might not seem that big a deal and add in more time for little joys. They may not seem like much, but I do believe they will make a big difference. And I am living proof that it makes a difference. 

I often hold my own routines under a magnifying glass. I am always trying to figure out little ways to get everything done that I would like to do over the course of a 24-hour day. One day I decided that I really wanted to up my reading game, but couldn’t seem to find the time to do so. I realized that it was worth it for me to sit alone and read during my breaks at work. I shed the weight of extra socializing and started taking some time to recharge. 

And over time, I have felt like my quality of writing has improved because of it. Ideas flow more elegantly through these fingertips, spreading words across the page like butter across bread. And not having to do that extra little bit of interacting brings me joy as well. It’s not that I hate the people I’m around, it’s just that people make me tired. I’m an introvert, after all. 

So take some time to shed some weight. Look at the big picture and see if you need to make any adjustments because of the pace you have been holding. Just like Hebrews 12:1 says:

And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.

Shed those weights and find the pace you can hold as you go forth on your conquest! I pray that God guides you to your rhythm, that pace that works for you to be able to keep going until your winter is done. 

Until Next Time

May Peace be your Guide.