Learning to Rest

The following is something I read recently from my mom.  It's on her blog post and it was too good to not share.  

 

Tonight was one of those nights where everything was caving in around me.  On the outside, I looked fine.  Calm.  Collected.  But, on the inside, I was crying- get me out of here.  I just needed to leave.  And you know where I left to?  The library.  Interesting that my car took me to a place where it was quiet, not crowded.  Where I could hear my thoughts, and I happened to listen to them and realized that I needed some books for school.  So, I checked out several, and prayed all the way home.  

 

Learning to rest is something I learned to do this summer.  And I've missed it terribly since school began.  I have a ghetto glider in my garage from a garage sale this summer where I couldn't get myself to give that thing away.  I had rocked my babies in it.  And this summer God told me to not sell it.  

 

He knew.

 

He knew it would be a place of rest for me.  A place where I can go outside and just glide and look at the sky and know that He is with me.  He's providing all my needs.  When other people disappoint me, or can't fill me up.  God can.  

 

So, that's why learning to rest is so important to me.  

 

LEARNING TO REST

I try to be so organized.  Every night I make a “to do” list.  I wake up in the morning furiously giving my best to complete every task.  There are never enough hours in my day to get them all done.  I wake up the next day to do it all over again, only this time, the unfinished tasks from yesterday’s list carry over to today’s.  I’m so tired!

My dear friend and mentor calmly interrupted, “You must learn to rest.”

“Is resting something I have to learn?”

“Yes,” she said firmly, “you must learn to rest.”

“Okay,” I said, “I’ll go to bed earlier and when I feel super tired, I’ll take a short nap.”

The cure to our weariness won’t come from resting our tired bodies or delaying our duties for a time with a catnap.  There is a difference between being physically tired and needing to catch up on some zzz’s, and being worn out in our hearts, minds and souls.

The truth is, we aren't weary simply because our schedules are full. We are weary because our spirits are depleted.  Within each one of us resides a soul that desperately needs renewal and restoration, something an overloaded schedule doesn't always allow.

It's easy to hide our exhausted souls.  On the outside we may appear well-organized, emotionally stable, and put together.  But on the inside we are often hopelessly overwhelmed and completely stressed out.  The rememdy for our weariness will not be found in a nap, but in God alone.

Our Good Shepherd can only restore our souls when we turn our hearts and minds away from the noise and busyness of the world back to Him. Sitting alone with the Lord leads us to peace and gives us the strength we need to move forward.

LEARN TO REST

Return to your Good Shepherd

Invite Him to restore your Soul

Receive a fresh filling of His love, mercy and grace.

When you do, He will replace your weariness with strength, your resentment with thanksgiving, your irritability with patience, and your anxiety with peace.

THE LORD IS WAITING

Meet with Him. He will refresh and renew you, enabling you to go out into the world to serve your family and friends filled with a newfound sense of His peace, love and joy.

The Lord IS MY shephard

I shall NOT want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures

He leads me beside the still waters

He RESTORES MY SOUL.

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

for His name sake.

Yea tho' I walk thru the valley of the shadow

of death, I will fear NO evil 

For You are with me.

Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me

Thou preparest a table before me

In the presence of mine enemies.

Thou annountest my head with oil

My cup overflows.

Surly goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life

and I will dwell in the 

House of the Lord Forever.