We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed 2 Corinthians 4:8-9

When I was growing up on the farm, one job I worked was to bale hay, and we had a lot of hay to bale. The bailer, was a piece of equipment that picked up the cut grass and compacted it together to come out in long bales, which we loaded on a hay rack and took to the barn for storage. Sometimes in the process of bailing hay, the grass was thick as it entered the bailer and it put pressure on the device that compacted the hay. If too much pressure built up, this metal shear pin would break, causing us to hault work until my dad or uncle changed it out. I can’t tell you how much we looked forward to that down time. It gave us rest and also made my uncle slow down as he drove the bailer.

So where am I going with this? Life can bring a lot of pressures on us. Sometimes the pressure can be so great that it causes us to break down for a while. Although no one wants this to happen, God often allows it so we can find rest and “regroup”. As humans we often allow a lot of things into our life that bring unnecessary stress. It just isn’t worth the pressure we place on ourselves. Our brokenness can also be a sign we need to slow down and refocus on God. Whew….speaking to myself here friends!

We just wrapped up Christmas and headed into New Years. I’m sure you have a lot of “to dos” for 2020. Don’t get too bogged down that you put unwanted pressure on your life. Turn to God for that New Years direction and seek wisdom from Him for your life! God has a great plan for you! Find it in Him and with fewer break downs. God bless!