How to have a more productive day tired

The productivity I want to invite you into is not of this world. It is the journey Father has had me on.

A journey into freedom.

A letting go of societal norms to over excerpt myself and instead embrace a slower way of life.

Choosing to focus on what Father views as most important.

Productivity in the world is defined as how much we can get done in any given day.

As a Mama of five precious kids I very often end up feeling like I am running in circles. I look up from serving breakfast, cleaning up after us and it’s already lunch time.

Then comes nap time, and when am I suppose to homeschool these kids?

What in the world? How does this happen? I want to invite you to see through a difference lens.

A lens that removes the pressure and the expectations we place on ourselves.

What is God calling you to today?

Beginning with, what is God calling you to, today.

The Lord took a very anxious, overwhelmed, overworked, perfectionist young Mama and began to strip away all the lies I had believed.

Mainly that I was worth what I was able to produce.

I want you to sit with Father and let Him replace these lies, they don’t serve us sister. They keep us in perpetual cycles of discouragement and defeat.

Can I tell you, rarely do I lay my head down on the pillow and feel discouraged about our day.

It is not because I got everything done like I wanted or that we even completed the tasks that I set out to do, because most days I don’t.

I believe the reason why I don’t go to bed defeated is because I have surrendered the day over to The Lord. I have sought Him.

I have asked Him, what is the most important thing on your agenda today Father. What is of most importance for us today?

Can I tell you, God is faithful. He will answer. He will show us.

For too long He has seen His daughters weary and beaten down by the demands society places on us and then the demands we place on ourselves.

Story time:

I had just delivered our fourth baby girl. My husband had returned to work. It was just me and four little kids, trying to figure out our new life.

My husband showed up at the end of the day to find me on the verge of a breakdown.

He pulled me aside, held me close, looked me in the eyes and asked what was going on.

I tried to explain to Him that I was just trying to finish. I was trying to prepare a meal for us, and to accomplish all of our other tasks.

He held me close and said this to me, “Yessi, you place so much pressure on yourself. I couldn’t even apply any more pressure if I wanted to sweetheart. You are running yourself to the ground, come lay down.”

I am teary remembering this moment. Because this is so many of us. We are weary. Overwhelmed. Wondering how in the world we are supposed to do it all.

You’ve heard the mantras, “You can do it all”, meaning, you should be able to juggle everything perfectly- work, keep a home, stay on top of your health, take good care of your kids, your spouse and still look good at the end of the day.

Sister, this just isn’t the case. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen my sisters running on empty believing this lie.

It isn’t that they aren’t sitting with The Lord, but it’s that the voices around us, even from well meaning people can be louder.

I want to invite you now to sit with The Lord and to ask Him,

“Father in your mercy and your grace, because of your Son Jesus, Lord will you show me what you have for me today? What do you want me to know Lord? What lie am I believing about myself Lord? in Jesus Name I pray Lord, Amen.”

The freedom that we will walk in will be beautiful and life altering, because The Lord desires for us to rest in Him.

We can’t both rest and strive. The two cannot happen at the same time. Either we are resting in Gods provision or we are striving to make it happen ourselves.

More than anything I long for us to live lives that are filled with peace, even when it’s loud, peace is internal. It is not dependent on our circumstances but on the free gift Jesus provides for us through His Spirit.

Sister, I am praying that even as you are reading, you will feel the weight of Gods goodness and love replace the weight of weariness and hopelessness.

Our worth is NOT measured by our productivity.

A new way of productivity that begins with abiding:

I want to invite you to abide in Father. In John 15 we see that a branch cannot bear fruit on it’s own. Left to ourselves we will burn up, because it is the way of the world.

To keep us too busy, So busy that we feel like we don’t even have time to stop and catch our breath. That rest is unattainable.

This is not the way of Gods Kingdom. The Lord invites us to first rest in Him. I want to take you back to Genesis 1:3-4

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.”

Notice the evening came first.

This is important because what we do the night before greatly impacts how tomorrow will go. Primarily I’m not talking about an extravagant nighttime routine, but more an invitation to invite Father to bless your sleep.

To reorder your thoughts from the day. To remove what isn’t from Him.

In psalms 127:2 He says He gives His beloved rest.

Rest is vital.

We must first begin with rest. This only comes as we learn to abide.

As we trust that Father knows what needs to get done, and He will provide the energy for it to get done.

Last week I shared some of my favorite tips for keeping a tidy home, and it might not surprise you to know I don’t make cleanliness the first order of importance.

As believers The Lord takes us by the hand and begins to show us the beauty of asking Him, “What does faithfulness look like today?”

I am telling you, this simple question continues to transform my life, on the daily. Because what I think is most important is often not what He thinks is important.

Typically I would wake up, look around and see what needed to be done.

Next thing I knew it was an hour later, because my body has been accustomed to skipping breakfast I had forgotten I need to sit my little girls down to make sure their bodies are being fueled for the day.

The screaming fits were overwhelming. In my despair, I sat with The Lord and asked Him for help. Two days in a row He brought me to this verse.

Matthew 25:40 “Surely I tell you, what you have done for the least of these, you have done for me.”

It was like the neon sign I needed. Feed the little girls first.

I knew to play with the little girls before we do school work because of the wonderful help of more seasoned Mama’s, but I didn’t apply the same principal here, until The Lord pointed it out.

The Lord will provide:

Matthew 6:33 say’s “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all of these things will be added to you.”

What things, sisters? Everything. Every single thing that pertains to life. To caring for our homes. For our families. Ourselves. The people He brings into our lives.

All of it.

If we will seek Father first and foremost we can trust that He will give us insights and rhythms to help us through out our days.

This past Sunday morning, I walked into the bathroom, ready to do my makeup.

I felt a heaviness in my spirit. I knew I am carrying what I am not meant to. The more we walk with Father, the more He will make us aware, the more we lean in, the more awake we become to His leading.

I started singing:

“…You remind me of things forgotten, you unwind me until I am totally undone. You bring me to the end of myself, and with your arms around me fear is no match for your love, I am totally undone.”

Sister, as I sang these words out, hot tears began to flow, and a deep sadness. I asked Father to hold me close and to swallow up the pain I was experiencing.

I felt Fathers tangible peace and comfort.

I cannot emphasis our abiding in Father enough. Everything we are longing for is found in the person of Jesus.

Everything we want to accomplish that is aligned with His plans and purposes for our lives, He will help us to fulfill. Because the truth is, He delights in His children.

He doesn’t want us walking around defeated, discouraged, feeling hopeless and overwhelmed.

I want to take a minute to hold you in my heart. I understand there are seasons in our lives that are so painful.

The overwhelm and the tears are just ready to flow. I have been here more times than I can count.

Even here in these places of deep brokenness I have seen Fathers love and peace envelop me.

Comfort me.

He is not ashamed of us. He isn’t wondering when we are going to get it together. Why are we still struggling?

Sister, He knows how difficult this life is. He wants to take our heavy, our overworked and give us His peace, His rest.

He wants to prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies. (psalms 23)

A favorite phrase of mine to tell Father is, Abba, remember that I am dust, deal kindly with me Lord. Help me Lord.

I have cried out at the top of my lungs for God to send me help, when some of my children have had exceptionally difficult seasons that left me feeling like I wasn’t going to make it.

We are just a few weeks from this very dark season that has felt like the longest valley.

I have cried so many tears. Have felt so lonely.

In these seasons I have pressed into community when what I wanted to do was cancel plans.

Whether it was because I didn’t accomplish the tasks I wanted to do before the ladies were going to join me for our monthly supper club. Or because my brain felt too frail.

Ultimately I didn’t cancel, because God is faithful.

He knew that I needed these precious women to hear the hard things I was walking through. I needed their prayers and their love over me.

I needed to hear that they have struggles too.

I cannot over emphasis this enough.

We need community, in this post you can find helpful tips on building lasting friendships.

We need people we are pouring into. Women who are pouring into us.

Women who will see you in your deep brokenness and hold your hand and say, “me too”, lets sit with Father, lets ask Him, what does He want to tell you?

The practical steps to help us have more productive days

Sit with Father first, invite Him into your day. Pen and paper in hand is good too, “What is most important Father?

Make a list of what feels like the top priority items. This helps me to see what is most pressing, is it the laundry or the weeds today?

Feed yourself. Feed your people.

If you’re able to prepare bulk meals ahead of time, do it.

Chicken and Rice has saved my life this season of walking through grief. I don’t put this lightly sister. It truly has.

This week I purchased gigantic burrito sized tortillas to stuff them with protein and rice, because the kids need to see this meal transformed a little.

I am not a person that tires of food easily, that is not the case with my kids.

Here recently I have been making mayo, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, cheese sandwiches at the beginning of the day. I have one kiddo that has a very hard time if they skip a meal.

Preparing these sandwiches ahead of time has given a simple solution that is packed with protein to help this child keep going and has helped to cut down on the sugar drops through out the day.

A well fed child is a happier child, and a more peaceful home.

I love making scrambled eggs in the morning. We love sauces over here, they might enjoy them with siracha, strawberry jam, ketchup.

What matters to me is we get more protein in our diets.

My kids love cheese.

I’m talking I purchase a block of cheese and make fun little charcuterie boards for the kids to graze.

I add things like oranges, strawberries, nuts, hard boiled eggs, pickles.

I acknowledge that I can’t always get to a full meal for them but if I have these healthier snacks out for them their bodies and mine can keep going with out the crashes.

Prioritize protein.

Good fats like avocados.

I also love spoonful’s of peanut butter.

Stay hydrated.

I’m telling you, many of us are dehydrated and don’t even know it.

Hydration is so important for so much more than just not feeling thirsty.

Our bodies have a filtration system and that system gets flushed and cleaned with the water we drink.

We are helping our bodies by providing the water.

Typically it is said to take your body weight and divide it in half.

See what works best for you.

Do not multitask. Take one single task at a time.

Go outside. Soak up some sun. Let it recharge you, just as being with The Son renews restores our soul, the sun is healing and vital for proper health.

I want to share this printable with you, I hope it helps take some of the guess work for you too.

Following after God isn’t often something you can quantify.
Results are not easily measured with spreadsheets and clean floors.
But peace. A mind that is sound. That can hear His voice. That slows down when He say’s ‘it’s time to rest’, is a gift!

yessi argabright, gather your sisters

Lean in close sister, Father loves us so much. He is inviting us into more than just clean homes. Productive days.

He is inviting us into Himself.

You will find that the more you seek Him, the more you will feel less discouraged and will actually be able to accomplish more of what He has for you and your people, with a better attitude than you may have had before.

I am so thankful you’re here. I pray this message has blessed and encouraged you. It is such a joy to write to you.

If this message blessed you would you please share it with your people?

I’d love to hear from you! Thank you for being here and for continuing to read this the messages Father places on my heart.

Thank you!

Enjoy this beautiful song by one of my most favorite worship leaders, Steffany Gretzsinger, her love, devotion to King Jesus is absolutely beautiful and we get invited in.

Dig deeper, simple click the link below and it’ll take you to bible gateway where you can see all the verses.

Genesis 1:3-4, Psalms 127, Matthew 25, John 15