Tether Me to You

By Simply Kerri

​Sometimes we need to slow down, take a few deep breaths, and refocus. As a single Momma, I find myself constantly striving to just maintain even the most basics. Always pouring out all I have for everyone around me. Being a mom is my job and I fully understand sacrifice and being tired. Running on empty just comes with the territory.. But does it need to? I mean, how can I possibly pour out if I have nothing left to pour? It eventually causes me to lose my focus in every area! I’m stretched so thin, giving only half the effort here and half effort there… If we only watered a plant half way, or fed it half way, it may continue to grow some, but it certainly wouldn’t be thriving.

I’m a giver. I love to give. Whether it’s gifts or time or whatever I can possibly give, I want to give it. It’s how I operate. It’s how I show love. Sometimes; however, I come to this crossroad where I literally have nothing left to give. I am so burnt out, so depleted of everything I need to keep thriving. Then follows a spiral of emotions and feeling like a bad mom, bad daughter, bad friend, etc.. But honestly, I’m just empty. Anyone else?

I get so tired. Especially as a single mom, my burdens of parenting are doubled. I won’t lie, every darn thing is hard and some days I just want to have a pity party for myself. I reach for things of this world to keep my cup full. Friends, family, coffee, book, tv; whatever lifeline I can find to try and hold on to and keep me going.. But still, nothing satisfies the emptiness that can only be refilled by one thing and one thing only.

Why is it so hard sometimes to turn our hearts toward the one we know is the only one that will satisfy our thirst? The living water that fills our cup so full that it just overflows so easily. There is no striving for it. There is no effort at all except to acknowledge that,

I need Him.

It makes me think of the scripture in John,

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” JOHN 15:5

See, much like a vine, if I am disconnected from the very thing that gives me life and sustains me, then I have zero access to the vital water and nutrients that I desperately need to grow. It’s the same spiritually, mentally and physically. If I am apart from the Lord, the stresses I have on my shoulders become too much. My cup will constantly be low or empty.
But Jesus…

He knows how empty and dry our cups get. Lord, tether our hearts to yours. Help us that struggle with striving and pouring from empty cups to just stop. Help us to just abide in you and stay there; where we can keep our cups full. Where your love and joy and peace overflows like a dam that has just been broken; where the water flows freely and abundantly with such a force that our cups are overflowing and flooding the lives of everyone around us with your love. 𝙏𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨, where the nutrients are pure and rich. Where we are fed. Where we can do all things in your strength and not our own.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” JOHN 15:5

​“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”‭ PHILIPPIANS 4:13

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