Time of Rest

 

It has been a long two years.  The last two years have been filled with dreams shattered, plans changed, and us doing things that we never imagined.  Home-schooling children while working remote, masking up when going out, educating ourselves in areas of medicine we never thought we would need to, and for many of us, embarking on a new work platform.  Being in the Human Resources field for well over thirty years, I can truthfully say I never experienced anything like this in my career.  While working from home, work and home was blurred.  There did not seem to be a beginning or end of the workday, it all was one.  Works hours started at 6AM and many times did not end until 11PM.

Work is not the only area that weighs heavy on us.  Our home lives have changed as well.  We have new stressors that have emerged.  Children and school can still present challenges.  The economy has brought on worries that we have not had in some time.  Physically going on vacation may be something we can do but affording it can now be a challenge.  The pressures of this world can seem overwhelming, and many times, out of our control.

Weary and burdened.  Those two words can resonate with us these days.  It seems as if the weight of the world is on our shoulders.  We cannot sleep, we cannot eat, and we do not know where to turn.  Our verse for this week is a verse I keep close to me – in my day timer at work, on my phone, tagged in my Bible – places where I can turn when the words weary and burdened are so real.  Put your name in this verse and feel Jesus talking to you, “Come to me, Susan, you who is weary and burdened.  I, your Jesus, will give you rest.”

When I say those words to myself, my weariness decreases and my peace increases.  I immediately realize I am not in this thing called life alone.  I have the one and only Jesus who can take away my burden.  In His words, I find the rest that I need at that moment.  It is at that time that I know I can go on.  It is in His love, that I find hope.  Close your eyes and repeat the words from above.  Breath in and know that the Lord God is with you with every step you take.  Know that our Jesus wants you to come to Him – willingly go and seek His rest.

Dearest Jesus, thank you for the invitation to rest in your arms.  When this world seems too much to bear, thank you for being the place I can go and receive peace, love, and hope.  In your loving name I pray, Amen.

Opportunity of the Moment

 

The checklist!  The errands!  The activity!  The meetings!  The worry!  The frustration!  My days are filled with constant movement and constant thinking.  My family will attest I am an expert in lists and in turn, an expert in getting things done.  Friday night (I do not even wait until Saturday morning), the weekend list is created.  It may range from the weekly events such as grocery shopping and laundry to events that depend on the time of year.  This weekend found the list consisting of buying plants, planting them, getting the sprinkler system going, exchanging the winter clothes in the closet to the spring and summer clothes, etc.  You get the idea . . . and the list was long.

I started to check off items on the list Friday night and I moved into Saturday with laser focus!  Time to get things done.  I find that most of my life is like this.  I make lists at work, checking things off as the days roll on.  Vacations can become a series of what we are going to accomplish on certain days, leaving truly little up ‘to chance’ and ensuring that we see EVERYTHING there is to see!  I have always seen this as one of my greatest strengths.  I have chatted with many folks who possess this same ‘superpower’ – the master list maker. 

For years this was the best way to get through life, especially as a working mom.  Without the list, I was convinced things would result in chaos.  Yesterday, as my hands were in the dirt planting zucchini seedlings, the wave of revelation came over me.  I have had this wave before.  As days get busy and time is moving faster than I can keep up with, the wave rushes over me.

This wave is ‘being in the moment.’  It is when I realize that in the spirit of getting things done, I might be missing the opportunity of the moment.  I have always believed this wave is the Holy Spirit saying, “Stop, Look, Listen, Appreciate.”  It is the opportunity to appreciate the moment I have and to not focus on how quickly I can get one list item completed before moving on to the next.  The opportunity of the moment can come in many shapes and sizes:

·        Stopping whatever we are doing to listen to the person speaking to us – truly listen.

·        Looking into a person’s eyes, not running past them with lightning speed.

·        Taking time to prepare a meal knowing the nourishment it will provide.

·        Looking at the beauty around you while taking a walk.

·        Slipping your hand into your spouse’s hand while on the couch watching tv.

It is these moments where we can feel God’s love in our hearts and, in turn, share His love.  This is what God wants for our lives, making the most of every opportunity.   May we ask the Holy Spirit to nudge us to take advantage of these moments.   Do not let the list drive your life – let the opportunity of the moment drive your heart.

Dearest Father, pour your love upon me.  Help me to focus not only on the things that need to get done, but on the moments where there are opportunities to appreciate and share your love.  May I realize that it is you, Dear Lord, nudging me to live wisely in your name.  Amen.

Watchful Eye

 

“How did you know that?”  This was a question I often heard from my children.  They always seemed astonished that I seemed to know when they went astray.  It could have been doing something they should not have done or not doing something they should have done (and that was usually around the dreaded chore list)!  My common response to their question was, “I have eyes behind my head!”

As they grew older, the watchful eye I had when they were small followed them into their teens.   Not only was the watchful eye out when they missed curfew, but it was also out when they achieved high-reaching goals and solidified sibling relationships.  The watchful eye continues to be with them, even if they are no longer living under our roof.  It may have moved from a watchful eye to a keen ear – noticing a tone in their voice or a hesitation in their speech on a phone call, but the keen ear will move to a face time call and an eye for their hurt.

I remember my mother providing that watchful eye for me.  She ensured I was not hurt when I was a little one.  That same watchful eye was there guiding me down a path of independence and self-reliance.  It was my mother’s eye that led my eyes to the Word of our Lord and a faith that continues to grow.  Without my mother’s watchful eye, I would not have learned how to have that watchful eye myself.

Eve.  Sarah.  Rebekah.  Hannah.  Elizabeth.  Mary.  Ruth.  All wonderful and famous mothers in the Bible.  I love going back into the Word to search for those incredible role models from Biblical times.  They truly inspire in wonderful ways.  Many of them had that same watchful eye.  The mother that utterly amazes me is Jochebed. Her name is mentioned once, yet Jochebed had the key role of Moses’ mother!  Talk about a mother who loved her child, loved him enough to send him down the Nile River to safety.  Knowing that her son was in jeopardy of murder, she put him in the basket towards Pharoah.  We know the story from there – she becomes Moses’ caregiver, and the rest is truly history.

As a mother or caregiver, our watchful eyes are with our children throughout their entire lives.  May we be grateful for the mothers and role models of the Bible and the watchful eyes they had on those that grew to be Biblical heroes – and our Savior!

Dearest God, thank you for providing mothers’ watchful eyes to see all the goodness of their children, ensuring their safety, and helping to guide them in Your Word.  Amen.  

Live our Lives in Love

 

Two years ago, life stood still for a while.  Many moved from working in an office to working at home.  Restaurants were closed.  Churches were closed.  We found ourselves stepping back in time.  The rat race of rushing here and rushing there was replaced by staying at home, holding tight to our families, and living a different lifestyle than we were used to.  We learned some lessons back then that I hope we continue to incorporate into our lives moving forward.  These lessons include the words shared in our verse today. 

What I am hoping is we live our lives in love:

•         Compassion – having concern for others.  Let us not turn back on those that may need us because we are too busy.  May we find opportunities to reach out to those that may need a phone call, a visit, or a friend.  Jesus never ceases showing us compassion, even when we do not deserve it.
•         Kindness – the quality of being friendly.  Go the extra distance to the stranger that you meet.  Buy the cup of coffee for the person behind you.  Speak a kind word to a stranger.  I love in the Bible where Jesus’ kindness oozes through the pages.  A touch of His hand to each stranger He meets changed their lives.  We can do the same.
•         Humility – humbleness.  This is one of my favorite words as we do not see this much anymore.  To bring our own importance down to build up another around us can be life changing.  We do not have to be the best or have the most.  We just need to be grateful for what we have!  Is there any greater example of humbleness than our Lord dying on the cross for our sins?
•         Gentleness – tender.  Our words are such powerful tools throughout our days.  To speak in a gentle manner, to our children, our spouses and our coworkers can do much for our relationships.  The words our Lord speaks to us could certainly be harsh, but he speaks gentle words of love.
•         Patience – tolerate delay or suffering without getting angry.  This certainly can be my greatest challenge.  Often, we want things done on our timeline and in our manner.  When we work on our patience, we incorporate the words listed above into strong actions – not taking our anger out on others.  If there is ever an example of patience, it is certainly Jesus.  I can only imagine the level of patience He must have with me.  I certainly should have that same level of patience with others.

Chapter three of the book of Colossians is a wonderful chapter to read.  Paul lovingly shares how we should live our lives, to the glory of God.  Living our lives with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience not only impacts those that are around us, but ourselves as well.  Our hearts will be filled.  Our souls will be filled. And our lips will share the good news of Christ with others.  Let's Live our Lives in Love!

Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us chapters in the Bible that help us to understand how to live our lives.  Whether time slows down a bit or we are living a busy lifestyle, understanding how we can positively impact others through our words and actions and living our lives that way should be a priority.  Amen!