The Litmus Test

I remember the morning well…

It was mid-February and to say I had a lot going on in my life both personally and professionally
would be the understatement of the year. I was feeling both exhilarated and emotionally
exhausted. I was not eating or sleeping well, and I was feeling as if my emotional state was
changing by the minute, if not by the second. Some significant shifts were about to transpire in
my life, and I desperately needed to be on the other side of the month – and it felt like February
was taking forever!

On this particular February morning, I could hear the birds outside and I could see the sun
working hard to get me moving. I had already woken up late and their seemed to be something
wrong with the hot water in my home, so my shower was cold. All this aside, I was looking
forward to my first morning cup of coffee – the one thing that starts my day on the right foot
regardless of which side of the bed I rolled out of. As I walked into the kitchen I grabbed my
coffee mug, filled it with the perfect cup of coffee, and as I turned around the cup slipped out of
my hand and went crashing to the floor. I still can picture the cup shattering and hot liquid
spilling in a million different directions.

What happened next surprised even me…

You see, this type of incident has happened to me before. I am typically moving too quickly in
the morning and not being fully present with myself physically or mentally, so the loss of a
coffee cup and the liquid found inside is not new. This February morning was different – instead
of simply taking in a deep sigh and grabbing the broom, I collapsed on the kitchen floor
hysterically sobbing. The mental health litmus test indicated that I was not doing so well. I had
worked hard to convince myself and others that the balancing act that I was in was going well,
and that the changes on the horizon for me were being greeted with a sunshine emoji. Clearly,
that was not the case. The result: A call to my therapist and a day with self-giving permission to
clear my calendar.

We have all been there. There are days when the Litmus test indicates all is well, and there are
days when the Litmus test indicates we need to step back, breathe, and take a day.
Today, my hope for you is that you can take step back, breathe, and take a day. You invest
yourself in your Callings, your ministries, and to those who support and surround you – and
today, you need to take a look at you saying, “I am a Beloved Child of God.”