Rest in the Lord

Yesterday was a pretty bad day.

 I went to Physical Therapy for the first time after missing a week due to a cold.  My therapist said she would take it easy on me since it was my first day back, which she did.  I, however, had other plans.  I have this mentality to push, and I sometimes work my muscles to fatigue without realizing I need to slow down.  By the time I was at my last exercise (stepping up on a stool) I wasn't managing it too well.  As I was leaving, my exhausted legs were needing more attention than I was giving... so I tripped  over my own feet and fell in the floor.  I caused a big scene, and I was (and still am) mad at myself.

I happened to have saved some of my devotional readings for after PT.  I read this, "God is superhuman, tireless, and all-powerful.  Yet what did He do after creating the world? He rested. Let that sink into your brain.  God. Rested. He didn't need to rest. but He purposefully took the time to step back, cease working. and enjoy His creation,  If an all-powerful being made time to rest, that should speak volumes to us mere mortals... You need to focus on 'human,' once in a while, and not so much on 'race.'"

Wow.

God will give us the resources, strength, and desire to accomplish what we need to accomplish.  We don't need to overwork ourselves to speed things up.  Take it from me - when you try to make things go faster than God intends, he will grab your attention, and maybe in a not so subtle way say, "SLOW DOWN."

Prayer and quiet time is the way to know God's pace.  Prayer is crucial, as we all know, but so is sitting quietly resting in His presence - allowing Him to speak to us and show us what He wants to show us.

I've realized I need to make more time for this. Do you?

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

Book quote from: "God always has a Plan B"  There is not a specified author.

Surrendering Your Waiting

Lessons from Hannah 

(from Small Group meeting 1/23/13)

Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:1-20

This blog will discuss:

Waiting for a "yes" from God

Dealing with irritating situations or people

Surrendering everything to God

Overview

Hannah was married to Elkanah and desperately wanted to give him children; however, God "closed Hannah's womb," sticking her in this period of waiting.  Peninnah, Elkanah's other wife had no difficulty bearing children, and she rubbed this is Hannah's face.  One day at a feast, Peninnah jests Hannah to tears, and Hannah runs out of the meal to pray.  During this prayer, Hannah poured her heart  to God, surrendering everything she had - even her unborn child she was still unsure she would receive.  Eli, the priest, saw her and blessed her saying, "May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked him."  Hannah soon had a son, Samuel, and she surrendered him back to God by giving him to Eli.

My Lessons

This lesson really rang true for me.  I feel it is something I have experience in, but could always use more.  Who couldn't?  

I've been waiting to be cancer free for almost 3 years.  The only explanation I can come up with is that God isn't done using this situation in my life to glorify Him.  If I had been healed after my first set of chemotherapy, sure I would have touched some lives with my story, but not as many as I have today (and they touch me right back).  Also, I wouldn't have needed to take a reprieve from college, and I probably wouldn't be as involved in my church or as close and devoted to God as I am today.  I definitely wouldn't be finding the time to do this right now.  What are you waiting for?  How might focusing on today bless you and help you grow closer to God?  Is focusing on what you're waiting for holding you back?

Quick Shout Out to my Pierpont COTN Ladies.  You ladies inspire me to be more Godly each day.  I enjoy every small group and event I am able to attend with you and am excited to be a part of such a wonderful supporting group.  I'm also excited to have some of the Morgantown First COTN ladies join us.  The more the merrier!

Dealing with irritations is another area that hits home.  Sure the commitment that comes with fighting a cancer is irritating in itself, but I've dealt with that.  What is irritating to me now is my feet/legs/  While I was in bed for 4 months dealing with GVHD issues, my leg muscles atrophied and I developed drop foot (basically, it's difficult for me to flex my ankles and I walk on my toes).  I am going to physical therapy for this, and my therapist says I am making progress... Some days I feel like I'm moving back to where I started rather than forward.  I keep telling myself that even if I take 2 steps forward and 1 step back, I still made forward progress.  The answer to all this irritation - prayer.  It really helps.  Some days when I'm feeling down I ask God for His strength and peace right now, and I can feel a difference.  How about you?  Do you have the courage to ask God to help you?  Or would you rather wallow in your irritation?

I think Surrender is something in which we all constantly struggle.  Sure we may have successfully surrendered whatever we needed to a couple years ago, but what about now?  What about daily? Do you surrender each and every day to God?  I know I don't.  Some days it's like pulling teeth for me to say "make this day yours, Lord."  Other times I get it out, but then later when I'm being selfish or short-tempered, I realize I lost my surrender focus.  The good news is that we can repent and start again after each time we fail.  We don't even have to wait for a new day - just apologize to whoever you need to, repent to God, and ask Him to help you to do better,

Dear Father,

Thank you for always being there for us.  Thank you for answering our prayers both in the past and in the future.  We want to place our full trust in you for our futures.  Help us to let go of the uncertainty of tomorrow and focus on how we can glorify you today, Lord.  Help us to be content with the physicality of our lives.  Give us the strength to stop looking "there" to whatever we want and to dwell with you "here."  

I pray specifically for women out there who are struggling with infertility.  Please give them your peace that no one understands, God, and guide them down the correct path for their lives - whether that be adoption, fertility treatments, or whatever else, God.

Help us to surrender whatever it is we're waiting on, Lord.  Help me to surrender my feet to you, Father.  Let my sisters willingly place their waiting into your hands and trust you to take care of whatever it may be, God.

Thank you, Lord, for being with us while we wait, even when we may not feel you.  Please continue to hold us in your arms and dwell with us each day in the present.

I ask for your blessings on all of us, and I pray all these things in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

Credits:  This lesson came from the book "Twelve Women of the Bible" by Lysa Terkeurst and Elisa Morgan, Jeanne Stevens, Amena Brown, Naomi Zacharias, Jonalyn Fincher

If you are interested in doing this small group study you can order online.  The publisher is Zondervan.