Rest for the Restless

REST FOR THE RESTLESS
by Sara R. Turnquist

We are truly in an interesting time and place. Are we resting? Not resting? Surrounded by craziness? Even at home? Worn out?

Either way, I don't think anyone would argue that we could use some restoration...some renewal. The dictionary defines renewal as "the replacing or repair of something that is worn out, run down, or broken." So, yes, resting becomes vital.

As for me, I've never been good at slowing down, putting on the brakes, or saying that simple word that's so very difficult--"no." Rest has been more of a trial. I struggle with the fact that my overbusy, overwhelmed, and under-rested self runs at a pace that heaps on stress. Talk about needing a "chill pill"!

Isaiah 30:15 (NLT) says - "Only in returning to Me and resting in Me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it."

"...you would have none of it." Ouch! Conviction much? Yeah...

But, the truth is, God is (of course) right. We weren't created for this break-neck speed we live at. We were designed in His image...to be like Him. And He displayed the need for REST in Scripture. Look at the act of Creation:

From Genesis 1:1-2:3 (emphasis mine)
In the beginning...God said, "let there be light," and there was light...He divided the light from the darkness...named the light "day" and the darkness "night."
Evening passed, and morning came. This was the first day.
Then God said, "Let there be something to divide the water in two." So God made the air and placed some of the water above the air and some below it...
Evening passed, and morning came. This was the second day.
Then God said, "Let he water under the sky be gathered together so the dry land will appear." And it happened...Then God said, "Let the earth produce plants....God saw that all this was good.
Evening passed, and morning came. This was the third day.
Then God said, "Let there be lights in the sky to separate the day from night. These lights will e used for signs, seasons, days, and years...the brighter light to rule the day and...the smaller light to rule the night. He also made the stars...God saw that all these things were good.
Evening passed, and morning came. This was the fourth day.
Then God said, "Let the water be filled with living things, and let the birds fly in the air above the earth." So...God blessed them and said, "Have many young ones so that you may grow in number..."
Evening passed, and morning came. This was the fifth day.
Then God said, "Let the earth be filled with animals...and it happened...Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image and likeness. And let them rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the tame animals, over all the earth, and over all the small crawling animals on the earth..."
Evening passed, and morning came. This was the sixth day.
So the sky, the earth, and all that filled them were finish. By the seventh day God finished the work He had been doing, so He rested from all His work. God blessed the seventh day and made it a holy day, because on that day He rested from all the work He had done in creating the world.

Did you notice a pattern? I hope you noted that God created, then evening passed, morning came, that day finished. This is the rhythm of creation. God created and then rested in a rhythm. AND on the seventh day, He took a full day for rest from all the work He had done. In the Law set up in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, the Israelites are taught other rhythms too - filled with resting the land every seven years, celebrations, festivals, forgiveness of debts, reconciliation and return of land...all in a rhythm.

Even in creation, animals and plants have rhythms to their physiology. As do we--circadian rhythm (our sleep rhythm), our cardiac rhythm, respiratory rhythm... All nature and the world goes through cycles and rhythms. Our bodies, too. Why wouldn't we be designed to do so outwardly as well?

Why shouldn't we pause, reflect, and connect with HIM in a rhythm of rest and restoration? Let Him heal us and prepare us for the next season? The next day? Sometimes the next minute? Yes, rest may be partly to restore from the previous action, but it also to strengthen us for what is to come. Because the next season may be full of wondrous plans and purposes we can't even imagine.

The LORD is my Shepherd; I have everything I need.
He lets me rest in green pastures. He leads me to calm water.
He gives me new strength.
He leads me on paths that are right for the good of His name.
Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid,
because You are with me. Your rod and Your shepherd's staff comfort me.
You prepare a meal for me in front of my enemies.
You pour oil of blessing on my head; You fill my cup to overflowing.
Surely Your goodness and love will be with me all my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD forever.
~ Psalm 23 

Are you ready? To find out who you are? After diapers? After PTA/PTO meetings? To find...I don't know...deeper meaning in your life? What if, instead, you found...surrender? Surrender to the Lord's plan? to His purpose? His timing? Surrender to a new rhythm? A new perspective? A new normal?

A new journey even? A healing journey?

What would it require of you...this surrendering? Time? Focus? A shifting of priorities?

Matthew 11:28-30 in The Message Translation says "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (emphasis mine)

AW Tozer says: "The burden borne by mankind is a heavy and crushing thing. The word Jesus used (in Matthew 11:28) means 'a load carried or toile borne to the point of exhaustion.' Rest is simply release fro that burden. It is not something we do, it is what comes to us when we cease to do."

Now, practically, though....what does this look like?

For some of us, we only need allow the rest to happen - unfrezied time to be still and meditate on the Lord and His word - time of prayer and listening.

For other mommas, it's gonna take carving out the time/space for it to happen or it won't. Time to be in in the Word or listen to it. Time to be in worship. Being with Him...in conversation. In stillness.

For we are, after all, ladies in waiting. On Him. On His purposes. On His plans. In His time.

Who Are You?

Guest Post by Deena Adams

“…“A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. …When he finally came to his senses…he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him…We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began…The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in…His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”  *For the complete story, please read Luke 15:11-31 (NLT)

Have you ever been a prodigal, or the parent of one? I’ve experienced both in my life, and learned some hard lessons along the way. As I think about the young son in our passage, I’m reminded that it was a lack of patience that began his journey down a long, hard road filled with loss and harsh consequences. As the younger of the two sons, he also lacked the maturity that comes with age, as well as the maturity gained through life experiences. He had to learn lessons the hard way. 

Whether you’ve been the prodigal, or one you love, can you pinpoint the catalyst as lack of patience and/or maturity? I can.

If you’re the parent of a prodigal, you can relate to the father in this story. Maybe your child ran away from home as a teen. Maybe they left after high school graduation and never looked back. You may not know right now where they are, what they’re doing, or if they are even alive. No doubt about it, that’s hard stuff. It’s heart-breaking, gut-wrenching, pain.

The father in our focal passage is a picture of our loving, Heavenly Father. When God’s children turn away from Him, it breaks His heart, too. He desires a relationship with us, to have fellowship and intimacy as a Father and child should.

When the son comes to his senses and returns home, the father runs to him, embraces him and kisses him. He’s filled with love and compassion. This is our Heavenly Father’s heart toward us when we repent of our sin and turn back to Him. He doesn’t beat us over the head with our sin and rebellion. He throws a party and celebrates!  

God is our supreme example of how to parent a prodigal child. Leave them in God’s capable hands, pray for their hearts to turn back to the Lord, and to you, and when they come to their senses, welcome them home with arms open wide. 

There’s one more character in our story we need to consider. The older brother. This brother faithfully served his father for years. He was an obedient son, never refusing to do a single thing his father asked. We’d all love to have children like that, right? Well, the older son became so angry, he wouldn’t go in the house for the party.

Sometimes our faithful, obedient children can end up taking a backseat in our prayers,  and with our attention, when there’s a prodigal on the scene. We need to remind the obedient child of our love for them and the blessings that are theirs because they are our child.

I believe the older son was content and happy in his relationship with the father until the moment he knew the younger brother was receiving special attention. Comparison reared its ugly head and jealousy robbed the older son of his joy and contentment.

The same can be true in our walk with God. We know God loves us, and we love Him. We serve Him, we worship by using our gifts and talents for Him and are humbled by how blessed we truly are. Life is good. 

Then, we begin to look at a friend, neighbor, or co-worker who seems to have it a little better than we do. We begin to think how unfair it is that she has so much more than we do. Don’t we deserve that life too?

This is a trap of the enemy and it damages the relationships in our lives, and with the Lord. Let the Father’s response to the older son remind us just what we have as children of God.

  ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours.’ 

We are heirs of Almighty God. We are partakers of every spiritual blessing. We have no reason to ever think we are being cheated by God. We have more than we could ever deserve!

Application:

Who are you? 

Are you a prodigal child who has wandered away from God and needs to repent and turn back to Him?

Are you the parent of a prodigal child? Do you need to surrender control of your situation to God, trusting that He is a loving Father and will work things out in His time? Do you need to remind their obedient, faithful sibling of their blessings as your child?

Maybe you are the older brother. At one time you were happy and content in your relationship with the Lord, but comparison and jealousy have robbed you of your joy and contentment.

Or, you could be all three. 

Take a little internal inventory. Determine who you are in this story. Pray and ask God to help you respond to whatever He reveals to you. Turn to Him as a loving Father, running to you with open arms.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, I praise you for being so kind and loving toward me. I confess my weakness and sin. Please forgive me when I’ve turned my back on you and gone my own way. Forgive my impatience and immaturity. Help me to grow in these areas of weakness. Give me wisdom to deal with the children in my life. Help me show each of them Your love in the way I respond to them. May they truly know how much I love them, but more importantly, how much You love them. May they each love You and follow you wholeheartedly. Forgive any comparison and jealousy in my heart. Help me die to that sin, and embrace who You’ve created me to be. Help me live with a heart of gratitude for the many blessings in my life and be content, knowing I have way more than I could ever deserve. Thank you for being such a loving and forgiving Father.

Deena Adams is a pastor's wife and writer among other things. Sara met Deena recently at a Novelist's Retreat in Asheville, North Carolina and admired her dedication as a writer, a Christian woman, and friend. You can find her/follow her at:

https://deenaadams.com/

https://www.facebook.com/deenamadams/
https://www.instagram.com/deenaadamswrites/

Overtired?

from Shari Brown

Have you ever felt like a bad mom? Or take it a step further...like just plain tired of being a mom? 

Are you all the time trying to slip off unnoticed so you can numb out by slinking into the dark abyss of Facebook, Pinterest, etc.?

To be honest, that's where I have been lately. And by "lately" I mean months...not just a few days or a week or two...MONTHS! Bless my husband, he gives me breaks here and there but I just can't seem to get my head back in the game!

I wish I could say I had a magic formula, or just the right words, to make it all go away and make you feel all refreshed again. But I don't... Chocolate doesn't even seem to help, except maybe for a minute.

But there is some good news. You are not ALONE! 

You are not alone in the struggle, and you are seriously not alone ever! Satan will jump on you in the dark moments and tell you that you are, but you aren't!

That's why I love this group and I love you ladies. You give me a safe place to admit that I am tired to my core, that I don't have to be social media "perfect". I can voice this and loosen Satan's grip on me.


If you haven't already, find your person in this group...open up to your table about your struggles and loosen the enemy's grip on you! And you may be surprised to learn you're not the only one who's having these exact same struggles!

I love you ladies and can't wait to see you again SOON!

2 Corinthians 12:9-10  (NIV)
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Convicted, but Free

by Lindsay Marlow

Man, I will be the first to admit I have struggled with reading the Bible on my own. Guilt has a way of really getting ahold of me and strangling the life out of me. 

But today, I really got a WORD from the LORD. Go figure! I read THE WORD and get a Word. Ha! 

So I read Genesis 25 on my Bible app. I’m doing a plan where I read through the Bible in 3 years. That’s a chapter a day, which is way more doable for me. Sometimes I get behind, but I listen to it in the audio format, and I can fly through those chapters! I love it!

Anywho, today I read about Jacob and Esau. We all know the story. He gave up his birthright for a bowl of soup. A bowl of soup! Just like the Israelites being dumb over and over again, we think, “What an idiot!” 

In my commentary (NLT Life Application Bible), I read that he traded his inheritance for immediate gratification. Whoa! How often do we do that?! I know that $5 cup of coffee and going out to eat is a real struggle for me. Ah yeah, shopping too! Yours may look different. I’m not saying any of those things are bad, but we have to enjoy them in moderation. Man, I struggle with this hard. I am essentially trading my long term well being for a cup of coffee! Not much different than a bowl of soup! What the what?! Man, conviction. Not guilt though. “For there is now no condemnation,” (Romans 8:1) but conviction. Yes. 

Did you know Jesus even took our condemnation and guilt on the cross? He paid it all! That kind of love spurs me to want to do better. How about you? Do you really know His all encompassing kind of love? If you don’t, you just have to ask Him. He wants to know you and love you. He is waiting. It’s not hard. Just trust Him. He will help you along the way. Love you ladies! 

Our Caring Vinedresser...

These last couple of weeks have been extremely busy for me and quite overwhelming. And it's only getting busier. Will it ever stop? Can anyone feel me?

I need a break. A real break. More than that...perhaps I need to re-evaluate my priorities...I need God to give me some direction. And it may not be easy as He "prunes" my schedule.

That brings me to John 15:2b "...and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit."

Now when Jesus gave this talk in John 15, the disciples would have understood in a way that is somewhat lost on us who have never worked in a vineyard, or even an ancient vineyard like this one.

A Vinedresser, for one thing, is different than any other farmer. They work with these branches for years...decades even! And they tend the branches year round. They come to know the branches individually - which ones produce easily, which need more encouragement, which are more prone to insect infestation...and how to get the best harvest from each...

The Vinedresser will even name the branches, the relationship is such. More like we think of for a Shepherd with sheep.

So, this Vinedresser, our God, tends to the branches, to us intentionally, with wisdom and great care. He prunes the branch to enhance fruit production, just as God prunes things from our lives that are excess, preventing us from realizing His purpose for us.

Things like Netflix, Facebooking, this ministry, that book club...you know how it goes. None of these things are bad...some are very good, noble even. But in excess, it just becomes too much.

Branches in a vineyard favor growth over fruit production and they can grow vigorously. But most growth is the leafy green stuff that will block the light from getting to the fruit. So, the Vinedresser has to mindfully prune back the leaves so that light can nourish the fruit.

This is true in our lives. We need His Light in order for us to grow and mature into what He has created and purposed us to be. So, sometimes He has to prune the excess in our lives. For me, I love Facebook...keeping up with my friends. But I have found it can absorb gobs of my time. So, I have to now set a timer when I get on. This allows me to enjoy this good thing without allowing it to become excessive.

What about your life? Can you sit with the Lord and ask Him if there is some pruning that needs to happen in your schedule? You may find that there is rest to be had if you will only take hold of the opportunity!

World Class Worrier

My mother was a world-class worrier. I remember going on a particular vacation to an outdoor attraction in Central Florida as a child (no, it was not Disney World). My mom kept peering into the sky and commenting on the clouds in the distance. They looked like rain clouds to her. "Shouldn't we abbreviate our day and get back to our accommodations before we get caught out in the rain?" She brought this up several times during our day. To the point my dad declared her to be "a pessimistic cloud-watching worry-wart." And it stuck from then on. It seemed she was never in need of something to worry about. It was just her way.

And she came by it honestly. Her mother (my grandmother) before her was a whole tier above that in the worrying department. On another vacation to Central Florida, with my grandparents in tow, we decided to go to the beach. My grandmother was just intent that it was a bad idea because she would burn. However, my father had secured a couple of umbrellas and chairs for her comfort and shading. This was when she declared, that the wind would blow the sun rays up under the umbrella.

It seems, dear friends, that I have inherited this trait. I worry about my family, my health, about whether or not my husband will be involved in a car crash on his five-minute drive to Walmart to pick up milk. And if I run out of things to fret about, I will make up new things. There never seems to be a shortage.

We moms sure can find endless reasons to worry...finances, kids, our marriages, health, the future...

But you know, I believe about 99% of the things I've feared have never come to pass. Thought I've spent plenty of time fretting about them. How much productive time I've wasted! What if I had turned to worship instead of worry?

Let's look at Proverbs 31:25...

She laughs at the days to come...not in a careless sort of way, but with a confidence that comes from knowing and trusting God; because she wears a strength and dignity due to her faith in God. God's faithfulness in the past assures her that He will work out circumstances in the future...that HIS grace for the moment....every moment...in that moment.

God can grow your faith in those moments when you would otherwise worry...if you let Him...if we turn our fear into prayer and praise, trusting His plan and His timing...our relationship with God will be strengthened.

UNAFRAID: What do I do with my fear?

I am a classic worrier. And, before God did a drastic...and I mean complete overhaul on me, I was desperately fearful of so many things. I'm still a work in progress, mind you, but God has brought me a loooong way in the "thou shall not be fearful" category.

Fear used to paralyze me. I was afraid to take my kids to the park, leave them with a sitter (even my parents), or allow my husband to drive 5 minutes down the road to Walmart in broad daylight. Yes, I was certain he would die in a burning inferno of a car crash.

You may be laughing...maybe a little...or you might be nodding. Cause you know this fear. And you know it well.

God did many things in my journey...one thing being to teach me that fear can be a TRUST ISSUE. For me, it was. And He put a book smack dab in my face one day that helped me better understand my fear and relate to someone else's experience...as well as take that first step toward trusting Him more.

The book, Unafraid, by Susie Davis (you can click on the title to find the amazon link) was definitely, literally a God-send. And it pointed me to a book I already had in my own library. And so do most of you: the Bible. There is an account in Numbers (yeah, I know...those early Old Testament books can honestly get a bit overwhelming and your eyes blur over...but they are filled with treasures if you can stick it out)...but this recalled event in Numbers was life-changing when this author brought it back to memory.

Let's look in the 13th and 14th chapters. I'll "read" it in the Inter-ever-leaning Sara Version...

One day, God said to Moses, "Get your best guys together to scout (spy) out Canaan, the land I'm giving you. Let's pick the best dude from each of the tribe for this task."

Moses thought this was a good idea, as it came from God and everything He says is pretty much on point. So he got this spy force together.

Among them were a bunch of Agent Bubbas (when I was younger, one of my Sunday School teachers said that if you couldn't pronounce the name, just insert "Bubba") and two I can pronounce: Agent Caleb and Agent Joshua (pictured below).

So Moses called a briefing for Mission: Canaan...

"The entry point is here by way of the Negev. Survey the land and the native activity. Are the indigenous people strong? Weak? How many? What is the topographical layout and potential growing yield of the land? Are the cities fortified? Or are the people in camps? Are there trees?"

The spies all nodded.

"Be brave, men. Oh, and bring me back some fruit."

The mission commenced and the spies entered the target area as instructed. They scouted as told and even gathered some fruit to appease their commander. Their deployment took 40 days before they returned to report what they had seen and heard.

They gathered with Moses, Aaron, and the Israelite community for a debriefing. Their faces were grim.

"We went into the land as commanded. It is indeed a good land. Wonderful and lush. And, uh, here's your fruit, Commander."

Moses waved it off, eager for more details.

"But the natives, sir, they are strong, their cities are fortified and well-defended. And they are many."

The people stirred.

Agent Caleb stepped forward and attempted to calm the group. "Let us go now! It is not more than we can handle!"

"Are you crazy, Agent Caleb? We can't attack the indigenous peoples! They are stronger than we are! The land devours its inhabitants...the natives are not just many, they are giants! The Bubba descendants are there...to them we are like little bugs they are so big!"

Then everyone cried out and wept. They complained about the Commander and his brother, Aaron. "Why didn't we just stay in Egypt? Or just die in the desert wilderness? Why must we come here to die in battle? Maybe we could go back to Egypt? Yeah, that's a good plan. We can vote in a new Commander-in-Chief and just go back to Egypt!"

Agent Joshua and Agent Caleb stood before the people of Israel and said: "This land we have seen...it is very good. If God is pleased with us, He will bring us into the land. A land full of good things. He will give it to us. Please, don't rebel against the Lord. Don't be afraid of the people in the land, we will conquer them. The Lord is with us. Don't be afraid!"

Well, the Israelites wouldn't listen, and God becomes...well, I'll let you read what happens. But it's not good for the Israelites, suffice it to say.

But, do you see it?

Like the majority of the spies, if you focus on your fears and how big they are, they do seem overwhelming...like giants.

But no matter how big the fear. How insurmountable it seems or actually is...when you focus on GOD, the size of the fear will shrink.

It's all about perspective.

So, are you looking at the fear? The problem?

Or are you looking at God?