Summer is ending. Routines are returning. Calendars are filling or they will be soon.
And before the rush of school, work, activities, appointments, and all the “things” coming our way fills every space, God invites us to pause with Him.
To ask: What do I need this fall? Where is God inviting me to make room for Him? And what space do I need to intentionally protect?
Maybe that looks like a weekly morning walk with your Bible.
Maybe it’s saying no to a recurring commitment you don’t have capacity for.
Maybe it’s an hour alone each week.
Maybe it’s gathering with women who remind you who you are in Christ.
Maybe it’s a retreat.
These things won’t look the same for everyone, but the invitation is the same for all of us:
Make space to behold God.
I have two big ideas for us to ponder together today.
1. Make Room Before the Calendar Fills Up
Luke 10: 38 - 42
Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet while Martha was distracted by everything that needed to be done. Jesus didn’t criticize Martha for caring about the work in front of her. He lovingly pointed her back to what mattered most.
How often do we do the same thing?
We fill our calendars, meet the needs in front of us, and then hope there will be some leftover space for Jesus.
But what if we started differently this fall?
What if we intentionally chose one thing each week that makes room for Jesus before the demands of the week take over?
The most important things in our lives rarely demand our attention. We have to intentionally make room for them.
2. What If Rest Is Part of the Plan?
Psalm 23: 1 - 3
We spend so much time preparing for the next season that we forget to ask where rest belongs in it.
Often, making room comes after burnout, when we’ve reached the end of ourselves and desperately need a break.
But what might this fall look like if we intentionally made room for rest now, before the demands fill our calendars and our minds?
Psalm 23 gives us such a beautiful picture of our Shepherd:
He makes us lie down in green pastures.
He leads us beside quiet waters.
He restores our souls.
Notice that rest isn't an afterthought. It isn't something we have to apologize for or earn through exhaustion.
It’s where our Shepherd leads us.
Maybe we should start there, too.
Your tangible encouragement for today:
Find a place where you can write down one thing you’re going to intentionally protect each week this fall to make room for Jesus.
Make a note in your phone. Write it on a piece of paper and put it on your bathroom mirror. Write it in your journal or in the margin of your Bible.
Then tell someone.
Not only can that provide accountability, but imagine the ripple effect our choices to make room could have on the women, families, and communities around us.
When one woman chooses to slow down, listen, rest, and behold God, she gives the women around her permission to do the same.
If you’d like, respond to this email and tell me what you’re doing to make room. I’ll share a few of your decisions anonymously in next week’s email.
Be encouraged, friend.
God is here, and He desires to fill you before the fall calendar does.
Love,
Britt Goff
#WheatfulWednesday
P.S. One last little reminder, friend: Behold Retreat registration closes this Thursday. If you’ve been feeling a nudge to make space for God and spend a few days being deeply cared for, I’d love to have you with us in WaterColor this November.
Behold Retreat Details and Tickets Here
Christian fall devotional / fall devotional for women / Christian women devotional / making time for God / making space for God / finding rest in God / Christian self-care / fall spiritual reset / Christian women’s retreat / Wheatful Wednesday