-excerpt from “One Life on Earth” by Fran Bosa
Have you ever been so burnt out that you are not sure where you are driving or even where you are supposed to be going? I have.
I can remember one time being so exhausted while coming home from work that I went straight to my bedroom and called my friend Nel to ask her what year it was! The rest of the story is that I ended up in the hospital. I had been working nonstop, running a business at home with international students, parenting two active kids who were now teenagers, and facing all of the emotions that go with that wonderful stage of life. I was exhausted, running on less than fumes.
Some nights, I can remember being so dizzy from the stress of my regular eighteen-hour day that I had to hold myself up by leaning against the wall as I struggled to reach my bed. I wish I had known how to pace myself back then. As a Type A personality, I knew what I needed to do to get the job done—day in and day out. For me, accomplishing all that needed to be done in one day meant getting up at 5:00 a.m. to prepare six lunches, as well as having dinner ready for that day because of evening commitments we needed to fulfill. Preparing two chicken meals in the oven at 5:00 a.m. was normal in the Bosa household. One day, because I knew I needed to get it done, I decided to paint the whole sundeck before leaving for work. To me, it seemed the only available time slot so the deck would have a chance to dry while everyone was gone for the day. How I thank the Lord those days of running on fumes are gone!
Hopefully, others will not be as slow as I was in recognizing that the human body gets depleted and that can lead to burnout. God doesn’t want His children to live life like that! He commands us to have a day of rest. The words of Jesus in Mark 6:31 (RSV) are appropriate: “And he said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a lonely place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.”
I can remember many times when our family ate a meal while we were “on the fly.”Ours was a hard life, and I do not believe God wanted us to live our life in such a rushed manner. How much more meaningful those meals would have been eaten around a dining room table!
My friends often called me “Wonder Woman,” and I may have felt some pride in that. But I discovered that even Wonder Woman needs a rest, and I thank God that He arranged some down time for me. During my time off, He restored my body, soul, and spirit, and I was able to write this book. I am grateful to Jesus for giving me restoration, healing, and a time to grow in my faith.
Her brother was shot, her father died, her family lost their home, she lost a child, she suffered burnout, and she was near death three times. But this is also a story of perseverance and victory. After recounting her story, Fran Bosa explains what she has learned and where she has learned it. This book includes excerpts from the writings of Rick Warren, Joyce Meyer, Beth Moore, and other Christian leaders, whose words have encouraged and blessed Bosa and molded her into the woman she is today. One Life on Earth is available for purchase on Amazon or through her website.
