Thriving...in Spite of It

If you are like me, you're plunging into the week today like an 18th century firefighter, a full bucket in each hand, running full speed ahead, using every ounce of strength, concentration and determination you can muster to keep from sloshing out any of the precious contents, or, worse yet, tripping and toppling, losing them all. One bucket is full of obligations -- the other, your passion, your mission, and the desires of your heart. Both are filled to the brim, heaving under the insufficient handles of good intentions -- handles that creak, slip, and blister your hands as you fight their heavy sway to hold them tightly. How can you possibly chase your dreams in such a precarious, painful state? Jesus made it a point to tell us to cast our cares on Him, because He cares for us. We do it, alright, but then we pick them up again. God pleads with us to find rest in Him, and we say, OK, just for a moment...you sit down, carefully easing your buckets to the floor. You look around