Creating Margin In My Life

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Have you ever had a thought that continued to linger, even when you tried to push it away?
 
Have you ever sensed that God wanted you to do something, but you were hesitant to follow through with it?
 
Several months ago, this happened to me. I kept sensing that I needed to create more margin in my life…more space…more time to rest and to recharge. 

​As a teacher, I easily spend around 50 hours per week doing school-related tasks. I love my job, but I also love to volunteer. Serving in various roles in children's and women’s ministries has always been something I’ve been passionate about.
 
But months ago, I started to feel a little restless. Two serving roles that once brought me excitement and joy started to feel overwhelming and stressful. I thought the feelings would go away, but as time went by, the feelings intensified.
 
For about 2 months, I questioned God why I was feeling this way. I had served in these roles for years, and they were for a ministry that I love and I’m still passionate about. Every time I prayed about it, I got the same answer - I sensed God wanted me to step away from these two volunteer roles in order to create more margin in my life.
 
Even though I knew God was calling me to do this, it was still difficult to follow His prompting. I was the only one serving in these positions, and I knew I was supposed to continue serving until these roles could be filled by someone else. I realized this could take several months, but I wanted to make the transition go as smoothly as possible. Because of this, before I shared with anyone what I felt called to do, I started praying that God would provide the right people for these positions…people who are skilled and knowledgeable and who are also passionate about the ministry.  
 
When I finally followed through on God’s prompting and shared that I needed to start transitioning out of these two volunteer roles, I experienced a great amount of peace, and my words were met with love, support, and appreciation. We started to develop a transition plan. We are still in the midst of that transition plan, and I can already see how God is answering the prayers I prayed months ago. Stepping away from these roles has allowed others to step in and use their gifts and talents.
 
Creating margin isn’t easy, but I’m learning that for my emotional and physical well-being, it’s necessary. Your calendar doesn’t have to be completely full in order to live a fulfilling and meaningful life.
 
And if you’re like me and you enjoy volunteering, consider if you’re serving in your “sweet spot.” If you’re not excited and passionate about serving in a role, then maybe that role is meant for someone else. Try different roles until you find one that you enjoy. Serving should be fun.  
 
Work is important. Serving is important. But so is taking time to rest, have fun, and to build relationships with others.
 
Look for ways to create margin in your life. Embrace empty space on your calendar.
 
If God created the world in 6 days and then rested, shouldn’t we make rest a priority too?