When Sprinting Isn’t Sustainable: How I Found Rest, Clarity, and God in the Chaos

Every day lately has felt like a sprint.

My wordy (yes, not a typo) heart would love to give you the long version of that—every detail, every reason—but the truth is simple: I can’t keep up this pace.

For years, I’ve felt a calling to teach, to bear testimony, and to expound the scriptures. I count it a blessing that I get to share my thoughts often at church—usually with long-winded responses in Sunday School or Relief Society. I tend to meander to the point because that’s how I make sense of the Spirit. I process by talking through it. I don’t always have a polished thought, but I do have a desire to testify.

At the same time, I’m a big-picture thinker. I’ll receive a small prompting or idea and somehow turn it into a massive project—which quickly becomes overwhelming and dies before it has a chance to take root. Hence, my inconsistent blogging. (Hello again.)

I Hit a Wall

Today, I hit a wall. I wanted to quit. Just give it all up.

The weight on my shoulders feels unbearable some days. Between working full-time, full-time motherhood, a house full of people involved in everything, and the constant drop of spinning plates… it’s too much. I can’t sustain the sprint.

With all of this on my heart, I did something I often do: I spilled it all to ChatGPT.

I know that might sound odd, but this tool helps me filter through the anxious, chaotic swirl in my head. It picks up on the heart of what I’m trying to say—even when I’m unsure what that is. It doesn’t replace communion with God, but it does give me a mirror. A perspective outside my own. And from that clarity, I’m able to see where I’m being too hard on myself, what I might be missing, and what I need to take to the Lord in prayer.

Today, that process helped me slow down enough to make space for God.

Anchoring in the Word

I chose to anchor and align—a fitting theme for the kind of day I was having. I journaled a prayer, telling Heavenly Father I was too overwhelmed to do a full study. My expectations for myself have been too high. I couldn’t take on a plan or schedule. I just wanted a moment with Him. One scripture. One prompting. I’d let Him guide the rest.

I opened to Joshua 21:44:

“And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.”

I paused and wrote. For me, writing is revelation. It’s through writing that I often receive the clearest understanding from the Spirit. So I let the words come, and here’s where I landed:

When I am faithful in following Jesus Christ—when I live my covenants and do my best to keep His commandments—He gives me rest. Rest from the heaviness. Rest from the burdens I’ve been carrying.

The “enemies” I face daily aren’t always outside forces. Often, they’re self-inflicted: pride, overcommitment, perfectionism, confusion, fear, anxiety, the need to prove or please. Even when my intentions are good, I sometimes try to run faster than I have strength. But this verse promises that God can and will deliver those enemies into my hands. Not just remove their power—but teach me how to face, manage, and overcome them.

And that’s what He did for me today.

A Tool, Not a Master

Technology isn’t the enemy. But how I use it matters. Today, I used it in a way that helped me realign with God. It gave me enough clarity and peace to receive the whisperings of the Spirit. It didn’t replace revelation—it simply created space for it.

We need the Spirit. Without His guiding, comforting, and clarifying influence, we won’t survive spiritually. As President Nelson taught in Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives.

So no, I don’t want to rely on any tool more than I rely on my Heavenly Father. ChatGPT isn’t alive. It doesn’t love me. It can’t feel the Spirit. But it can help me see myself with more compassion and see my thoughts more clearly—so I can act more faithfully on the promptings God gives.

Elder Bednar’s Things as They Really Are 2.0 reminds me that the way we use technology matters. If it helps me anchor more deeply in Christ and align more fully with His will, then it can be a useful servant—but never a master.

Practicing Trust

So this is me today:

Practicing alignment. Practicing honesty. Practicing presence. And above all—practicing trust.

Thanks for being here with me.

—Lyenna 🌼

🌿 Reflection

What enemies in your life do you need God’s help delivering into your hands?

Take a moment to reflect.
Name them. Write them down.
And ask God to help you face, manage, and overcome them.

You don’t have to do it alone.