A song that's been on my heart and on replay lately is People and Songs' 'Psalm 23'.  

Through mountains and valleys 
His joy is refreshing 
Restores my soul 
Mercy and goodness 
Give me assurance 
That I'll see His glory Face to face 
Hallelujah, I am not alone 
He's my Comfort 

As I write this, I have it playing as a reminder of God's goodness. Many times the stress of life becomes so overwhelming that it paralyzes. I've certainly been feeling it lately. Even when I take days off work to find some peace and catch-up on the matters that I'm severely behind on, it never seems to be enough. I find myself asking what am I doing!? Why am I doing this? Most of it is my personal life, supporting my family, trying to live a life that's different from what's around me, finding time to abide in Christ, and dwelling in love and community. All great things, but these blessings have swiftly felt like burdens. I never seem to have enough time to live and make a living. When the burden is at its heaviest, I just want to drop it all and toss my hands in the air, to quit. And I've DONE that! I've talked about it here in the blog.  

The answer to the what gets me back up and keeps me going:  

There is power in the name of Jesus 
To break every cycle, to break all these cycle 
To break all these cycle, to break all these cycle 
Generation on cycles, financial cycles 
Painful cycles, oh, cycles 

This comes from another song on replay, Cycles by Jonathan McReynolds and Doe Jones. 

See the devil, he learns from your mistakes 
Even if you don't 
That's how he keeps you in cycles, cycles 
Cycles, cycles 
But I'm not going in cycles, cycles 
Cycles, cycles 

This is mercy and goodness. More, this comes from experience. I want to leave something of value once my story is all written. But more than anything, I want to break the generational cycles that's plagued my family.  

Reflecting on these 2 songs, I find comforting knowing that God has a plan for my life to stop the generation of cycles. So when the burden feels like it's going to break me I can rest in His refreshing joy for renewal; to plant myseld like a tree by the streams of His living waters.  

Faithfully, 

Marie