Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. -1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭(NASB‬‬)

The steep drop was up ahead. I stretched myself so thin that I if I didn’t change course, I would crater.

I was running nonstop at work…at home…not eating right or sleeping enough. I was over-promising and under-delivering on all fronts, spinning too many plates at the same time. Some were falling and breaking.

In Scripture, God often uses people and situations as instruments to communicate His will. In my case, I saw Him do the same through a teenage cousin.

My cousin very unexpectedly gave me his old handheld video game system, a Nintendo 3DS XL, one I’ve wanted for years but never had the time to use. Years ago, I received Mario Kart 7, a kart racing game named after Nintendo’s iconic Italian plumber, but never bought a 3DS to play it. And now I had one in my hands.

What happened next was miraculous.

Instead of working through lunch while eating at my desk, I went outside and ate my lunch out under the shade of a tree, then turned on Mario Kart 7.

As I played, my focus was on negotiating twists and jumps and opponents, and for a few minutes, I forgot about the neverending conveyor belt of obligations. I could feel little bits of stress melting off me. This machine in my hands was like therapy through electronic escapism!

I came back to my desk thinking, “I see what you did there, God.” Just before the point of breaking, He gave me relief, and showed me where I could better steward the gifts He bestowed to me: time and talent.

The truth was that I never had time to play because I never made the time to play…to burn off some stress. Some time just for me to recharge my batteries. Me time. I wasn’t defining or exercising any boundaries between work and personal areas of my life, and something was bound to give.

God made us in His image, but we are also in physical bodies that require care…and can only run so long without proper maintenance. And I’m slowly learning that to take care of myself means I can do far more for others as His instrument.

Thank You, Lord, for using all things and people for the good of those You have called…and please continue to guide us to do the best work for you, not just the most in our own strength!