This morning, I was standing in the kitchen making myself a cup of tea.

The kettle had just boiled, the birds were chirping away outside, there were a few dogs barking somewhere in the neighbourhood, and for a moment everything around me felt wonderfully peaceful.

Well… everything except my mind.

Before I’d even taken my very first sip, my thoughts had already decided to get a head start on the day.

What needs to be done today?

What are we going to have for dinner tonight?

I should probably check in with a few people who have been on my heart lately.

Did I remember to buy milk… or perhaps I should just buy the cow with the amount of milk we seem to go through!

Then came the “what ifs”…

Mixed in with dreams, family, things I was looking forward to, and plans for our next little adventure together.

All this… before the teabag had even finished doing its job.

Honestly, our minds deserve an award for multitasking.

It’s funny how one little thought quietly knocks on the door… and before long it has invited all its friends over too.

Before you know it, your mind feels busier than the kitchen when everyone suddenly discovers there are new snacks in the cupboard.

(Which, for the record, is exactly why I sometimes hide them… otherwise they’ll mysteriously disappear in one afternoon!)

Surely I’m not the only one?

It’s amazing how quickly our minds can travel without us ever leaving the room.

One minute we’re standing in the kitchen.

The next we’re replaying yesterday, worrying about tomorrow, planning our next little adventure, solving problems that haven’t happened yet, and wondering if life will ever slow down for just five minutes.

No wonder we feel tired sometimes.

I’ve often wondered how many things we carry in our minds that God never asked us to carry in the first place.

One verse that gently brings me back time and time again is this:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

Philippians 4:8

I love that Paul doesn’t tell us to never have anxious thoughts.

He simply reminds us where to gently bring our attention back.

I’ve realised that some of my most honest conversations with God don’t happen when I’m sitting quietly with my Bible open.

They happen while I’m washing the dishes…

Hanging washing on the line…

Watering the garden…

Or standing in the kitchen with a cup of tea that’s slowly getting colder because I’ve been thinking about everything except drinking it.

Sometimes my prayer is nothing more than,”Lord… my mind is a little busy today.”

And then I simply carry on chatting to Him while I fold washing, wipe the kitchen counters, or water the flowers.

I love that God isn’t waiting for polished words.

He simply welcomes honest hearts.

I’ve also learnt that prayer doesn’t always make every worried thought disappear.

The laundry basket is still full.

The house still needs cleaning.

Life still happens.

But something changes inside me.

The weight feels lighter because I’m no longer trying to carry it all by myself.

Maybe peace isn’t the absence of a busy mind.

Maybe peace is knowing where to take the busyness.

So if your mind feels a little full today, can I gently encourage you?

Put the kettle on.

Take a slow breath.

Step outside for a few minutes if you can.

And have a little chat with God. Not because you need the perfect words. Simply because He’s already there.

He already knows every thought that’s racing around your mind.

And somehow, I find so much comfort in knowing that while my thoughts can wander in a hundred different directions…

His love for me never does.

Until next time,

MC Bloom

Put the kettle on. Have a little chat with God. Leave the rest in His hands