Month: January 2017

How are you today?

Or, do you even have time to ask yourself?

I can often fall into that trap. Sometimes the day to day fills up the time with vacuum like speed and there’s little time to check in with my soul.

I feel we are for the most part past the crazy days of having newborn twins. I remember in those days when it got really, really hard, I’d tell myself, “grace is coming.” And every time, it would. The girls would sleep an extra hour, or someone would come by and clean my kitchen, or bounce my girls so I could get away for an hour or so. One time Chuck walked in the door, and I handed him the girls, a couple ounces of milk and basically ran to the apartment gym! He said, “don’t you think they will get mad when it’s gone and they are still hungry?” I think I mumbled, “I don’t know” and
“I’ll be back in half an hour.”

Anyway, the chaos of those moments has subsided, and most days the girls nap really well at basically the same time. (PRAISE THE LORD!) A friend recently said, “I think your girls are good sleepers for you.” Yep, she’s right. That’s my dose of grace most days. But, obviously life is still busy and full.

This morning I am pondering rest and reminded of Hebrews’ take on the subject.

So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief. Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. Hebrews 3:19-4:1

Biblical rest is a state of the heart. Biblical rest isn’t about marshmallow soft pillows and hours of lounging.

God wants to give you rest today.

He wants to give you rest amidst your current chaos. He wants to give you rest in the midst of your unknowns. His rest isn’t dependent on 8 hours of sleep. His rest is based on believing His goodness is bigger than any challenges you are currently facing. He is good. He is working all things together for your good. He is fighting for you. You can BE STILL and KNOW THAT HE IS GOD today in this very moment.

But I have calmed and quieted myself,
    I am like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child I am content.

Psalm 131:2

I am praying for you today. May your sweet heart be filled with rest today. May He calm the storms that rage against your soul.

I’ll leave you with Psalm 23:2 from the Passion Translation –

He provides a resting place for me in His luxury-love. His tracks take me to the quiet brooks of bliss, the oasis of peace. That’s where He restores and revives my life.

May you find His Presence today. He is there. He is here. He is in the midst of our mess and our lives. He is near and He longs to hold you and carry you throughout this day.

Love,

Anna

I wouldn’t say the new year has had the best start for me. For the first 8 days, I was fighting a sinus infection. We came home from Christmas with colds, the girls and Chuck shook them off pretty quick, but my sinus infection was a bit more stubborn.

This led to a lot of nights with less than ideal sleep. This is not a good for me. I know some people can survive on slivers of sleep, but none of those people live in my house.

I sat down so weary and cranky last night and decided to journal a bit before bed. And to my shock, the Lord started to speak to me about a clean house. He told me that I need to rest more and that a clean house doesn’t represent a happy healthy home. And He brought up the word He’s been bringing up for over a decade – abide.

I come from a family of get it doners. And I really love feeling like my life is ordered and organized (and okay maybe in control). If you want to get cured from that disease, I highly recommend having twins. Because control is no longer an option. It’s been 11 months of letting go… Well really 13 months, because bed rest really limits the ability to keep the house clean and organized. If the house keeper missed a spot vacuuming, I would stare at it day after day until she came the next week. A trip to the bathroom caused contractions, therefore vacuuming would have sent me straight to L&D.

The Lord has been teaching me once again about abiding. It doesn’t mean I don’t clean or cook or do my chores, it means I include Him in every aspect of my life. It doesn’t mean a clean house isn’t nice or even important, it means a clean house is not in anyway a sign of success.

Success looks like abiding.

Success looks like really connecting with my babies.

Success looks like being nice to my husband.

Success looks like a house that’s a refuge from this world.

Success is a house filled to the brim with joy and peace.

I often want a black and white rule book for life. I want it cut and dry, no mystery or challenges. But the problem with that is it cuts Him out of the equation. Abiding in His rest isn’t about everything being perfect, it’s about allowing the Prince of Peace into every mess.

Life is messy and unclear and that’s why we need Him. If it’s too cut and dry, I often begin to function on my own strength. And when I do that, without fail, I end up utterly exhausted because I wasn’t designed to do this life on my own.

 

Well, I better put in a load of laundry, or have a nap… 🙂

 

May you enter His rest today!

 

Love,

Anna