💛 Put Yourself on the List (Before Life Does It For You)

We’ve all done it: sat down with that never-ending to-do list.

Groceries. Appointments. Dishes. Deadlines. Other people’s needs. That weird noise your car is making.

Maybe even a birthday you forgot.

But here’s the question:

Did you put YOU on the list?

Because while you’re running around trying to take care of everything and everyone else, there’s someone quietly running on empty.

Health Will Always Demand Your Attention, Eventually

Here’s the truth that took me years (and about 47 million doctor’s appointments) to accept:

If you don’t make time for your health on purpose, your body will make the time for you.

It’ll force you to cancel. Force you to lie down. Force you to pause, whether you’re ready or not.

And that’s not failure.

It’s not weakness.

It’s just the cost of ignoring the “low battery” light too many times.

God Doesn’t Waste Pain—But He Will Use It to Teach

I don’t believe any of this is random.

Every diagnosis, every appointment, every day I wrestle with my limitations—it’s all part of a larger lesson.

God didn’t give me chronic illness as punishment.

But He is teaching me something powerful through it:

• How to listen to my body

• How to stop worshipping productivity

• How to rest with purpose

• How to understand the suffering of others

• How to lean into grace, not guilt

Maybe He’s teaching you, too.

Be Intentional with Your To-Do List

Next time you sit down with that long list of things to take care of, I want you to pause…

Take a deep breath…

And write your own name on that list.

Then add one thing—just one—that nourishes you:

10 minutes of stillness

A stretch that feels good

A food that fuels you

A question you’ve been meaning to ask your doctor

A moment to say: “This is hard, and I’m doing my best.”

Because you are not just a caretaker.

You are not just a to-do machine.

You are a whole, worthy person who deserves the same energy and effort you give to others.

You Can’t Pour From an Empty Coffee Cup

Yes, there are people who need you.

Yes, there’s laundry and bills and real-life chaos.

But you? You matter just as much.

Let’s stop waiting for burnout, breakdown, or a medical emergency to give ourselves permission to rest, ask questions, or advocate for our needs.

Write yourself into your own life story on purpose.