Runaway

**Photo courtesy of www.google.ca**

Ever feel like running away? Abandoning every single responsibility and disappearing? I do.

Sometimes, life gets to be...annoying, too much, overwhelming. Sure, you can take a trip somewhere to take the edge off but you always come back home. You know what Dorothy said, "There's no place like home. There's no place like home. "

She had such a love for home that she felt compelled to say it twice and it is true that there just isn't any place like home, even though things happening there may have been the reason we fled in the first place.

We are told that running away from life, when it gets tough, is never the answer. I would like the opportunity to put in a rebuttle. There are days when work has been taxing and life, well, sucks and all you want to do is call a time out.

You want to sit on the sidelines and take a break before your sanity breaks. When you just want to be without chores, lists of things to do, or having to scrub another toilet.

You just want to be free. Free to not go to work, take a 3 hour nap or stay in your pajamas all day. I have been known to be a little over dramatic while in the 'heat of the moment'.

When it feels like the world is coming to an end because a rock was thrown into my newly replaced windshield.  Okay, maybe not the best example.

Life gets to be too much and you find yourself saying, "I am so done". I certainly do some days. So, why does it have to be so hard? Well, it doesn't.

We can take breaks, smell the flowers, and take our own sweet time. Life really isn't meant to be this hard. Often, we make it that way.

When life seems to take a downward spiral, I am reminded of something Jesus said, rather enthusiastically, in fact. His words appear in a book of the Bible called John. John was a beloved follower of Jesus and recorded much of Jesus' ministry. In John 10:10, Jesus is found saying, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Well, I have to admit...that takes the pressure off. I'm supposed to enjoy life. Perhaps, even in the midst of my own train going off the rails. In fact, moreso, I would argue.

You may not be able to escape your surroundings with a trip, but you can leave the house to take a walk or lie in the grass/snow. We are meant to enjoy life.

That means not letting things get to us too much or for too long and just chill. Walk away from the very thing that's sucking the fun out of your life for a while. Yes, that includes your spouse or the credit card bill that just came in the mail.

Take a deep breath and enjoy a life that is meant to be lived abundantly.

Encouragement for the week:

Feeling overwhelmed? Like you're a caged animal in your situation called life?

If you are a Christian reading this, remember that Jesus didn't just come to save you. He also came so that you would live a full and enjoyable life. Don't let your circumstances keep you from having fun.

If you are not a Christian reading this, you can look for Jesus and you will find Him along with life's great abundance and enjoyment that Jesus died for you to have.