“Sure. Knock yourself out. No, really. Hammer to the head, works every time.” Rachel Caine
I’m a nonfiction reader, so I never picked up one of Rachel Caine’s books. However, when I stumbled onto her words about putting a hammer to my head, I figured we had to be related – maybe identical twins or closer.
I laughed at her quote about as much as I cried with relief when a friend said, “You don’t have to try so hard, you know.” I appreciated her advice to stop even though I never missed a beat. I kept right on trying hard.
A few years later, my overseas pal wrote to me, “You sure do try hard.” I sure do, my friend. Although Isabel and I have never met, she could tell over social media and from 10,000 miles away in Australia that my superpower was to try hard, harder, hardest.
High school friends recognized it 45 years ago. They voted me “Most Dependable,” the closest senior superlative to trying hard. I had a few moments of pride over my title, but finally ended up too tired to brag.
Interestingly enough, if you flip two of the letters, the i and the r, tried turns into tired.
To answer the question at the beginning, I didn’t think up this topic. I began journaling about trying hard out of exhaustion. I couldn’t keep up with my responsibilities, but I didn’t know how to give up any of them. The more I tried to talk myself into relinquishing some of my obligations, the more panicked I felt instead of relieved and rested.
I was afraid no one, including God, would do things I thought needed to be done, give attention to people and events that needed to be noticed, and carry on conversations (turned counseling) that needed to be spoken.
It was all up to me. Every bit of it. I had to keep everyone and everything together, fix anything broken emotionally and spiritually, and, in general, make life better.
Some of you know how overwhelmed I felt without me having to say a word. You feel uptight and a little short of breath reading this because you’ve felt it too. You might still be feeling it. Me too some days, but I’m not preoccupied like I used to be with trying hard. God allowed me to hit a bottom so low that all I could do was let go and look up.
That’s what this book is about, how I replaced trying hard with trusting God. It sounds simple enough, right?
I hope you’ll hang around and leave a comment ‘cause we’re …
In This Together,
Kim
Love that you’ve returned to your mission. Relating to your “trying hard” topic. Some of us find it difficult to let things be simple, and even more difficult to let go…
You know the K.I.S.S. acronym.
Often I tend to overcomplicate things in my attempt to be correct. Perhaps letting go and let God lead will remedy some of this in us all.
I love the symbol of the hammer. I also love the song If I had a hammer. I tried so hard for people to like me throughout my life. I’d hammer in the morning throughout the day for people to like me. I didn’t realize I didn’t think people could like me. I was and am a worrier. And I just need to trust in God Our Lord!
Betty, how could you think people wouldn’t like you? Isn’t it crazy what we get in our heads? I like you lots! 💛
Well, except that song will be stuck in my head all day. LoL 🎶🤣
I hammered a lot too – always keeping on when I would have been better off to step back, take a breath, and let God fight my battles. The verses about Him fighting for us have become some of my favorites.
I need more faith too! Thanks so much for your comment. I’m so happy you’re here.
Keep it simple, stupid! Is that how you heard it, Joel? Another friend had a gentler word in the place of stupid, but, for the life of me, I can’t remember what she said. Maybe because I’ve been feeling pretty dumb that this lesson’s taken so long, so “stupid” fits. LoL 🤣
I heard Prophet Jim Reilly speak tonight and he said two or three times that we need to keep things simple – and he really stressed it. It’s funny that I came home and read your comment saying the same thing. I do believe God’s already validating the idea that simplicity trumps trying hard, for sure.
Thanks for being a voice for Him, Joel.
So good Kim . We truly are in this together. Life is tough and I certainly made mine tougher by trying way too hard. To the point of exhaustion. Lord help us all. I’ve tried to teach my children to take time for themselves and that all that other stuff is no where near as important as my young silly self thought.
Keep up the good work.
I’m here for it all.
I love you,
Connie
You and me both, Connie!
Life could have been much easier if I had focused on the stuff that was important instead of knocking myself out over ridiculous things. I’m grateful to have figured it out. Now I just have to be careful not to have knee-jerk reactions because it’s habit to jump back into trying hard … over absolutely nothing.
I’m so happy we’re back at it. I love you! ❤️