I woke up preoccupied. It was Monday morning, and I felt tired before the week even began.

I had a book deadline looming, and I couldn’t figure out how I was going to get all the words in before it was time. So, as I started making the coffee, I was already engineering my day — and my week — like a game of Tetris. I was working on optimizing every minute, to get maximum productivity.

There was no white space. My heart sank knowing there wasn’t going to be much — if any at all — space to breathe.

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The day just started, but the whole week ahead already felt old. I felt old.

The sun was shining. The sky was blue. It was such a pretty day really, as I looked outside, over the kitchen sink.

I saw the beauty, but you know what? I didn’t feel the beauty that was right in front of me.

Have you ever had a morning like that — when the morning is still young — but you look at the week ahead and you already feel weighed down and tired before an hour of the new day has even been lived?

Preoccupied

Well, there I stood, like a wilting willow, in front of the coffee maker. It seemed like even the coffee wasn’t cooperating, taking a long time to percolate, drip, and help me out!

I climbed upstairs to get out of my PJs to start the day. My coffee will be done when I get back. I wanted to multitask. Maximize and be efficient, right?

Can you imagine how upset and bewildered I was when I came back downstairs to find a pot of clear water sitting in the coffeepot staring back at me!?

I checked the power cord. That was plugged. What?

I was so preoccupied stacking up my whole week in those early morning minutes, I put in the filter and filled up the water tank in the maker.

But forgot the most important thing. The coffee!

I flipped the lid open. Oh. I forgot to put the coffee grounds in the coffee filter.

Me-Time

As I started making another pot of coffee, feeling frustrated about feeling frustrated, I decided, you know what, I am going to take my morning walk.

I don’t care if it puts me behind. I need my spiritual whitespace. I need some me-time with God.

I need beauty. I need to feel beauty. With God.

All it takes is 10 minutes. That’s what I found while doing research for my new book. Studies show that just 10 minutes can refresh and help with anxiety — depression in school work, work. and everyday life.

The Whisper

So, I threw caution to the wind. I quickly put on my shoes before I convinced myself otherwise, and I marched myself out the door. And I began to walk.

And the more I walked, the more I could feel the quiet breeze tickle my face, the sun warming my shoulders. I saw some birds picking seeds off the ground and thought one looked like the mother and the other her baby.  I saw how the sun was casting shadows across the blades of grass.

And there in that whitespace, I felt beauty. It tasted quietness. I could breathe.

I felt peace.

I knew that peace was the whisper of God.

And I returned from that walk renewed, energized — and inspired!

Free to Be in the Moment

I wrote so much faster and with such passion, joy, and enthusiasm that morning! Even though I still had a whole lot of work ahead, I was no longer thinking about tomorrow or the next day after that.

I was free to be in the moment. I was freed from carrying the weight of the whole week on my back.

And you can be free to be in the moment too.  

Jesus said:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. {Matthew 6:34}

Are you tired? Worn out? Come to Me.Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me . . . watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. {Matthew 11:28-30}

Jesus is the coffee in our schedules.

Jesus is the coffee in our souls.

Jesus Is the Coffee

Me-time with Jesus rejuvenates and refreshes us — as we take time to rest and refresh.

So don’t forget the coffee. Don’t forget Jesus.

We can orchestrate the most optimized life and engineer a high output schedule, but without time to rest and refresh, we don’t have peace. We don’t have joy. And we don’t feel beauty.

But you were created for joy — for peace — for beauty.

You were created to walk as the Beloved.

You were created to be loved.

And that is how you will be a light.

Walk as the Beloved

Take the time to feed your soul — for me-time.

Enjoy spiritual whitespace — me-time to renew yourself by doing things you enjoy with Jesus.

Faith is like that first sip of caffeine in the morning. It energizes us from within.

When we take the time to make space — whitespace in our schedule — even if it’s 10 minutes, God can renew us.

You will return from that break — refreshed. Inspired. Renewed — for just that day.

So, throw caution to the wind, friend. 

Take a walk outside today and let God touch you.

Walk your Monday blues away with Jesus. Walk with Jesus any day. Every day.

You’ll returned inspired to just take one day at a time. God will provide.

Pull up a chair. How can you allow God to renew you? What energizes you?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Written by Bonnie Gray, the Faith Barista, encouragement for your journey, awakening your soul to rest.

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