My "NOT Responsible" List

I had a weird thought last week.

My brain is a tangle of to-do lists for the launch of my book, Holy Doubt. While publishing it is a literal dream come true, it’s also a nightmare of overwhelming firsts. Cover designs, formatting, and marketing demands are making my head spin, and reminding me daily, just how in-over-my-head I really am.

In a rare moment of mindlessness driving to pick my kids up from school, I had a weird thought.

Farmers were in the fields, prepping for spring planting, and the clouds were heavy with the promise of impending rain. In a split-second, I imagined the sprouts that rain would bring and the eventual harvest in the fall.That’s a lot of responsibility, regulating the rain, making crops grow, etc. Glad I don’t have to do that! I thought.

Weird thing to be grateful for. And pretty obviously, not my job. And yet it felt really good to think, I’m NOT responsible for that. What a relief!

Thinking about what I’m NOT responsible for (when I had a long list of things I am responsible for), made me feel a little lighter and less stressed.

It felt like God was reminding me that sure, there are things I need to get done, but he’s doing the big, impossible stuff behind the scenes, making things work. I’m not responsible for all of that. I’m only responsible for doing each next thing he sets in front of me.

I don’t have to hang the moon and stars in the sky tonight, or cause the sun to rise tomorrow. I just need to finish this blog post…and, well, you get the picture.

I don’t know what you’re facing today, but if you’re feeling stressed by a long to-do list, try making a list of things you’re NOT responsible for! It feels good. Trust me.

It will remind you exactly where you fit within the scheme of the world. And that feels pretty good when you’re feeling the weight of it on your shoulders.

~Gut-Check and Action Steps~