Where I'm At

The Lord will

fight

for you,

you need only

be still.

 -Exodus 14:14

Shhh! Don’t tell the kids. Mama’s been drawing on the walls.

In big blue chalky letters. Right next to the bed. So she’ll see it every morning when she wakes up, every afternoon around nap time, and in the evening before she closes her eyes.

Because the anxiety gripping her heart didn’t belong there.  Because she tried and tried to give it to Jesus, but couldn’t let go.  Because she asked God for wisdom on the matter. And He saw fit to plant this verse in front of her one morning - in a way that it struck her square between the eyes and she finally got it.  

Be still.

You don’t need to do anything. Quit your worrying, the what-if’s, the could-have-beens, and what-would-have-been-nice-s.

The battle belongs to the Lord.

Just hand it ALL to him and be still. Be still and know that I Am…

A difficult chapter is drawing to a close. I am grateful for the challenges, the lessons learnt, and the opportunity.

I am also grateful to be at the end. Mostly that His grace is all sufficient.

…

There is a lot to cram into the last few weeks of this year yet. My body is done. I’m taking it one step at a time. Then resting. Practicing the fine art of being still. So very necessary right now.  Not always easy.

I’ve decided that as much as I love making my Grandma’s Christmas pudding, it’s one task I don’t have to do this year. The teachers? Store bought presents will do. If you normally get a card from us? This year you won’t. What energy I do have is going into making my home beautiful. This year we are going to have decorations up well before Christmas Eve. I am determined to spread a little cheer for my family where there is usually just last minute hurry.

That’s all that matters to me right now. It’s what my being still looks like for the moment.

A beautiful friend posted these lyrics on Facebook the other day. I don’t recall the last time I sang this hymn. How very relevant though.

Jesus, I am resting, resting, in the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee, and Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power, thou hast made me whole.

Jesus, I am resting, resting,
In the joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness
Of Thy loving heart.

O, how great Thy loving kindness, vaster, broader than the sea!
O, how marvelous Thy goodness, lavished all on me!
Yes, I rest in Thee, Beloved, know what wealth of grace is Thine,
Know Thy certainty of promise, and have made it mine.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless, satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings, meets, supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings: thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me as I work and wait for Thee;
Resting ’neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus, earth’s dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father’s glory, sunshine of my Father’s face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting, fill me with Thy grace.

-Jean Sophia Pigott

A Very Belated Response

You may have noticed very few posts lately. In fact there have been none. It’s not that I didn’t try to write at first. There were a few attempts at putting thoughts down. But they never seemed to take the turn I’d hoped they would. Instead they looked a lot (an awful lot) like somebody, a little lost, just trying to make sense of her world and her muddled head. They never really reached a point that felt worth sharing. Or became too raw and too personal to splash about. (Maybe one day I’ll dip into them – who knows?)

Then there was a whole lot of nothing. No inspiration would come at all.

And since this writing thing is done because I believe He would have me do it, I asked Him what should be said. He was very quiet on the matter. I sensed the need to hush, be still - not put so much pressure on myself. To trust that when the time was right, the words would come.

There was one small word that came and sat. It seemed to disappear there for awhile. Though if I think about it, it never really did. I’ve opened my eyes and noticed it quietly peeping round the corner at me lately. Winking, willing curiosity to come and see.

It’s always so hard for me to start again, to find my rhythm. When I do not know what to say or how to feel, I write a letter. The music always finds me there. 

-KatieMulder

…and so…

Dear Sweet You,

You asked us, the other month, if we had a word for this coming year.

You had one – and others in the conversation had one too. I was happy for you all, really. But I didn't. At least, not yet.

At the end of last year a different somebody asked me what I wanted from the New Year.

My honest answer? To survive.

Said out loud it sounded so hollow and sad. But what I really meant was, I’d like to get my act together. To actually put in place a little daily plan. To feel as if something has been accomplished. To cope. To rise above. To find joy again …

The more I thought about it, the more I envisioned myself doing these things. The more I wanted to do these things. The more I allowed myself to believe in the possibilities.

I dared to dream once more - for more than survival. I wanted to live.

Life got in the way. I dropped the vision somewhere in a rut. It all seemed too hard, too much, too unattainable.

But I haven’t given up. I can’t. I won’t. Sometimes, I am learning, I just need to rest. In the circumstance – and in Him.

Slowly but surely progress is happening. The difficult is becoming easier. Or at least making more sense. I am learning new things, I am growing, I am in fact more alive than I had realised…

and, I have hope.

Thank you so much for asking!

Lizzy xx

A Hot Chocolate Moment

So the blog has been pretty quiet lately. Life has been ultra busy. And I’ve been sick (with the flu) and as much as I think about writing and desire to put something down on paper (or keyboard) so to speak – it just hasn’t happened.

So I give myself the week off. I think, well I can always blog next week when life is a little less hectic. But each week seems to bring with it a long list of to-dos. And I get overwhelmed (again).

This is life right now. This is the season I’m in. Officially school holidays begin in a couple more days. But I can’t even think about resting because we have so much we need to achieve during that time.

I have shared some of these burdens with a beautiful group of women in an (in)courage group (join one if you can). I am so blessed to have them in my life. These caring souls who have lifted my burdens heavenward, speak encouragement to my heart also.

God is bigger.

He knows what’s going on.

He can handle it.

Rest in Him.

^{Jeremiah 32:17} “Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you. 

So won’t you sit here for a quiet moment with me? Perhaps enjoy a cup of tea, or hot chocolate. We grow that in our garden. It’s a rose.

Isn’t it gorgeous?

Soul Rest

Join me in the Five Minute Friday Challenge hosted by Lisa-Jo Baker. Participants write for 5 minutes with no editing, no over thinking, and no backtracking. This week’s word is: Rest.

(Go)

Whether I like it or not I get to rest a lot. My body craves rest. But just because I am lying down does not mean I am resting. Often times my mind is working overtime; thinking up brilliant new ideas; deciding what to create next; mentally writing to do lists; worrying how I will get them done; wishing things were different.

I really have to get a grip when I find myself wandering this path. It’s just not healthy to compare what I can do with somebody else. And so again I must make peace with my abilities. Choose to focus instead on my blessings. Do what I can and then rest - body and soul.

Psalm 91:1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (NIV)

(Stop)

When I saw what today’s word is, the first thing that came to mind was ‘Rest my Soul’ by Michelle Tumes. It is a great reminder to rest and what that really means. May it bless you as it does me.

Click here to listen. 

Along Came Heartburn

Join me in the Five Minute Friday Challenge hosted by Lisa-Jo Baker. Participants write for 5 minutes with no editing, no over thinking, and no backtracking. This week’s word is: Quiet.

 

(Go)

Be still. Be quiet. Oh I have needed to do that so much lately. The desire has certainly been there but somehow life gets in the way and well…you know.

And then along came this week. Exhausted and dizzy. Did I mention exhausted and dizzy? Energy. What’s that? Try to do a simple task? Dizzy.

I did what I could, which wasn't much and just sat and thought the rest of it. Not sure last night how the house was going to get clean before my step-son arrived today, prayers were sent upwards.

Along came heartburn. And not just any old mild version of it. Noooo we couldn't do that! It had to be the full on don’t-move-or-you’ll-get-massive-pain version. Too painful to do much talking even.

This isn't what I asked for!!! It’s what I needed. No not the exhaustion or dizziness or heartburn. But quiet.

Quiet. Time to think. To re-evaluate. Time to rest. Time to be still and know that ‘I am’ God.

(Stop)

Now, your turn…

Nifty Notion #1: Sweeping the Room with a Glance

No, this is not a joke. Neither is it really a cleaning tip. What it is though, is a necessary place my heart had to come to - in order to love and accept myself right here where I am at.

It is permission to not be okay. Authorization to acknowledge a day that is just plain ‘blah’; to sit and listen to music, to sew, to read a good book, to put my feet up, to ignore the housework. Why? There are days, dear friends, when my body (and possibly yours) just needs to rest. Pushing myself to achieve things on those days would only result in being extra useless for the next few.

With a certain amount of awe, I have listened to other women discussing how long it takes to clean their houses each day. The sheer number of tasks they can achieve.  My comparing mind works overtime, soon leading to frustration. Discouraged I focus on the negative and forget to see the positive.  I become depressed.

But this is not God’s plan for my life. While we are called to be good stewards of all that He has given us, He does not intend for us to be overwhelmed by it.

^{Matthew 11:28} “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”(NIV)

Consider the story of Mary and Martha.

^{Luke 10:38} As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”(NIV)

This passage is not suggesting we should never do housework (wouldn’t we all love a verse like that!). Elsewhere Martha is acknowledged for her contribution.  But Jesus clearly states that it is not the be all and end all.  

Today, if it is not possible to be a Martha, be a Mary. Sweep the room with a glance and rest at Jesus feet.  

For more nifty notions click here.