Podcast: Play in new window

Subscribe: Spotify | RSS

Have you ever looked at the limitations in your life as gifts from God? I know how difficult it can be to stay positive when you feel stretched thin by life’s demands. 

You may find yourself feeling like there’s never enough time to check off your neverending to-do list. The energy spent chasing after your children or pouring into your marriage can leave you feeling like you don’t have enough to give to anyone or anything else. And when you look at someone else, it might appear as if they have the privilege of fully living their life with ease. 

In an effort to keep up the pace, you can find yourself living beyond your limits.

My friend, Sara Hagerty, understands this feeling. She’s a mom of seven children. Yes, you read that right, seven children ranging in age from 4 years old to 20 years old. She’s also an author. Somehow, she found the time within the limits of her life to write her insightful new book, “The Gift of Limitations.”

Sara shares her perspective on the beauty of boundaries with me on the latest episode of The Sister Circle Podcast. I walked away from our conversation with some pieces of wisdom that I want to pass along to you.

Naming your limitations

There will be times when life imposes limitations on you that you don’t like. In order to avoid those limitations, you may desire to shift into a new season, but for whatever reason, the timing may not quite be fight. I know limitations can be uncomfortable and even more so when you see someone else living in the season you hoped you would be in by now. I’ve personally been in seasons where I’m experiencing an answered prayer, but still find myself overwhelmed even though I’m right where I asked God to be. 

Maybe you feel exhausted and overextended with the responsibility of caring for your beautiful children.

Maybe your new role at work comes with the title you worked hard for, but the pressure is too much to handle.

Maybe you wish you’d been able to find a relationship like so many others in your life seem to have been able to find.

But guess what… we don’t always get to define, change, or rush our seasons.

Instead of rushing to the next season because this one isn’t what you hoped it would be, try living in the present. What is God saying to you right now? What is it that He wants to develop in you in this season? Maybe the limitations you are experiencing can lead to a different dream for your life. Ask God for a fresh perspective to see the gift in the limitations of your life.

Surrendering your dreams

Sometimes, naming your limitations will bring up uncomfortable feelings. It’s okay to let God know when you are grieving a dream that never came to fruition. Maybe you hoped for a different outcome for your life.

Know that your feelings are okay.

You don’t have to sweep them under the rug.

In fact, it is often when I bring my true feelings to God that the heaviness begins to lift. Even those things that seem small or unworthy of being named matter to God. 

It can be hard to accept that God’s will for your life is sometimes the opposite of what you desire. You may never understand why things turn out the way they do. Learn to lean into the grief you may be feeling for a moment and abide in the One who is the true comforter.

Honoring your boundaries

Life will undoubtedly pull you in every direction imaginable. If you’re not careful, you can take your eyes off of what Sara calls the “inside of our fence” and begin to focus on other people’s lives. But I want to encourage you to remain mindful of the current limits in your life so that you can make wise decisions about how you use your time. After all, you only get 24 hours in a day.

By listening to your body, you can navigate through life with an awareness that allows you to communicate your needs to others. Exhaustion, irritability, and apathy are signs that it’s time to put boundaries in place. You were not meant to be everything to everyone. You need rest. You need moments to check in with God throughout your day. 

In the face of boundaries that feel burdensome, look for the gift of limitations.

When you find them, name them. Surrender your dreams to God because His dreams for you are better. And never forget that when you honor the boundaries you have you create room for unexpected blessings to arrive.

And trust me, I understand all too well that the limits in your life can feel unfair. You may wish that things were different. But when you are honest about your boundaries with yourself and others, you can begin to let go and surrender your plans to God.

 

Highlights from Today’s Episode

  • Naming your limitations
  • Surrendering your dreams
  • Honoring your boundaries

Related Resources

Click to Post

Other Stuff to Check Out

Let’s Talk!

  1. Is there anything in your life that is causing you to feel limited?
  2. How does your body signal to you that you are living beyond your limits?
  3. What are some phrases you can use to communicate your boundaries to other people in your life?

 

Connect with me…​

Follow: Instagram| Twitter | Facebook| YouTube​

Listen: iTunes | Android | Google | Spotify| Stitcher​

Support: Monthly Donation | One-Time Donation | Swag

​

How to Listen to The Podcast

If you’re new to podcasts, think of them like little radio shows that you can listen to at your convenience. They are perfect to listen to and learn from as you workout, fold laundry, wash dishes or conquer the world.

1. Listen right here on the blog. Click the little play button at the beginning of this post.

2. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play! – Be sure and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Also, if you would be so kind as to leave a rating on iTunes and/or write a 2-3 sentence review there or on Stitcher?  Your commentary or rating helps make the podcast more “findable” by others who might not know it exists!

3. Share today’s show –   Email the link to a friend or share on social media. Just click on the sharing buttons at the bottom of this post!

You have been so great to join me on the journey here on the blog, I hope you jump right in and do the same on the podcast!