Is your “To-Do” list three miles long? Is your laundry piled high? Does your yard resemble a hayfield more than a manicured masterpiece? Are there loads upon loads of manure to be hauled? Is your desk a mess? Do you need to dust the furniture? Do you need to lose weight?

Have you surfed through Facebook only to find your friends with their perfectly weeded flower beds, trimmed fence rows and picturesque weekends in the backyard grilling yummy food with a totally relaxed look as if to say My life is so good, don’t you wish you were good like me?

I have a feeling I’m not alone in this overwhelming mess today. As I sat down with my cup of coffee (thank you, God, for coffee) and my piece of toast (thank you, God, that I remembered to buy bread on my last Walmart run), I thought about the week ahead (thank you, God, for a future).

I went through the appointments, the ball games and the traveling required for my job (thank you, God, for children who are healthy enough to play ball and a job that allows me to travel – with an expense account!).

When the overwhelming feeling of not being able to accomplish all the necessities washed over me, I stopped and prayed (thank you, God, for listening to my nonsense). When I finished, with tears in my eyes, my perspective had taken a 180.  All of a sudden I realized I wasn’t in control; I can live a life of freedom to take risks and crash through barriers and on the other side.

I have a Savior waiting to pat me on the back or bind up my broken heart (thank you, God, for being so careful with me and showing me I have the freedom to take a leap and no matter what happens, you’re there, steady and strong and forever).

Life is tough for all of us – and I mean all of us. Each one of us navigates different issues in life, all throughout our lives. I used to believe that one day everything would be on auto-pilot. When I finally made all the right choices in life, my days would line up and be seamless and trouble-free with no more consequences to poor choices.

This is what I saw in other people, so it had to be true. But I’m realizing that is a fantasy. Those who don’t ever deal with money issues, divorce, death, loss, sickness, tragedy or mental illness are the ones who live a seamless, carefree, auto-pilot life … and they simply don’t exist.

It’s planting season, and we don’t have time for the false nonsense that holds us hostage. Trash the fear, toss the twisted discouragement and gain a new perspective of freedom, within the failure and the unstoppable love of God.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World.