Monday mornings crowd in on us like a rush. A rush of thoughts, responsibilities, commitments made and to-do’s to be checked off.

If I’m honest, sometimes I’m afraid to even get out of bed. The demands of the day and the week seem to be too much for my heart to handle.

But then I read this:

“Being in the world without being of the world.” These words summarize well the way Jesus speaks of the spiritual life. It is a life in which we are totally transformed by the Spirit of Love. Yet it is a life in which everything seems to remain the same….What is new is that we have moved from the many things to the Kingdom of God. What is new is that we are set free from the compulsions of our world and have set our hearts on the only necessary thing. What is new is that we no longer experience the many things, people, and events as endless causes for worry, but begin to experience them as the rich variety of ways in which God makes his presence known to us.” Henri Nouwen, You are the Beloved

When the rush and demands of a Monday morning crash in upon my head and heart, vying for my peace, for my trust, for my confidence that God is enough and will be enough for all that is ahead, I am free to focus on just one thing: the Kingdom of God.

I am free to set aside the compulsions of my culture – compulsions to be enough, do enough, and have enough – and to focus on the one thing that matters and that cannot be taken away from me – the nearness of God in my life.

He isn’t my Father; He is my Father-with-me. He isn’t just an all powerful God; He is God-with-me. For me. Strengthening me. Guiding me. Leading me. Holding me. Steadying me. Focusing and directing me to look only at Him, allowing all other things to fade away.

Does anyone else need to hear this on a Monday morning at the beginning of a new year, a new season, a new day?

God is with you, and He is enough. You are free to set down the burdens of the day and shoulder the one thing that is needed – His presence.

May we have the confidence and courage to set our compulsions down and take up Jesus, the only one and the only thing who really matters, and who is necessary for all that we need.

For more encouragement throughout the week, you can find me on Instagram, @baker.susannah.