There you are in the quiet of the morning, ready to meet the Lord for strength for the day. Your Bible is open and perhaps you’ve already studied, read or done a devotional.
It’s a little bit like an appetizer to a good meal. But, if all this is appetizer for the quiet time meal, what’s the main course? Prayer.
But what about those times when your prayer conversation falls short? What when words fail to come? What when the heart sighs, and the voice is too weary to articulate even the one word prayer , “Help.”
Have you ever just sat in His presence and felt that you had nothing to say or pray?
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As a Highly Sensitive Person and an introvert, I relish the sanctuary of my home. This physical refuge allows me the time and space needed to recharge and keep from becoming overwhelmed.
But because we’re also meant to live in fellowship with one another (Hebrews 10:24-25), I also seek the safety of some close relationships from my spouse and kids to a few friends. Those relationships provide a protection for my spirit as we live life together, struggling to victory this side of Heaven.
As much as I trust these places and people of sanctuary and refuge in my life, Psalm 62:8 tells me God is my sanctuary.
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Are you ready for some active participation? This was one of my favorite activities to do with the students in our small ministry school. The following statements must be read ALOUD. You can do it in a room alone or find a small group and do it together. Either way, it is guaranteed to be a powerful act. I wrote these statements from real life experience and I too, have trouble believing them sometimes. But I still know them to be true.
Faith must be engaged when we struggle to accept how much God loves us. Verbalizing His love for us is a healthy way to move from hope, to faith, to real belief.
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There are days I feel sad and unmotivated. Maybe you can relate?
Life, and what’s going on, will contribute to my mood. But, my mood is just that—the way I feel today. And today won’t last forever.
The thing about moods is, they change…and often.
While one day I might feel like singing the blues, the next day I may be humming a different tune.**
So, today, I’m sharing what gets me through the I-feel-sad-and-don’t-want-to-do-anything-days.
1) Remember that this feeling is temporary.**
So many factors contribute to how we feel on any given day…hormones, the weather, how we slept the night before, lack of exercise, illness, and more.
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My favorite story to read my daughter is called You Are My I Love You. It’s lovely, and if you’ve never read it, please do.
Towards the end of the book, the mother tells her child,
“You are my new lines, I am your favorite story.”
The first time I read those words aloud, big fat tears were leaking onto the pages and my daughter was mildly alarmed at my sudden show of emotion.
It’s January now, a new year. And we write down all the things we want to do differently, and all the ways we want to be different.
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Anticipation comes before the babe comes. The real work happens after birth. And after His birth the world is poised for something that will change everything! From the law to grace comes a child. From someplace utterly holy He arrives and in His mother’s arms He grows.
Anticipation comes before Christmas. There can be a tremendous rush of things to do, things to be done and things that fall in between. We are poised for a day full of expectations, traditions and not always joy.
After Christmas comes one of two things – a breath of thankful relief or a post-holiday hangover.
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Every year at this time I do one of two things: weep at the loss of what was, or breathe a huge sigh of relief knowing that I get to start with a fresh slate.
As the New Year approached, my head began to spin with what I should be doing as far as setting goals for the coming year. Should I make resolutions? Pick a One Word or scripture focus? Start a new diet? Join a Facebook accountability group? All of these are good and often necessary things that will help to keep one focused throughout the year. In past years, I would be ridden with guilt and a sense of failure if I didn’t make good on a commitment.
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“Be careful driving home,” he cautioned over the phone. “The roads look wet, but they’re slick too. The rain is freezing.”
Grateful for my husband’s warning, I proceeded with care. Mindful of greater stopping distances, slower speeds, and reduced visibility in the dark, I arrived home safely.
I slept soundly, snug in my bed.
And awoke to school closings all around. Electric lines down in neighboring towns, with families who would be out of power for a full week.
I am certain there were spin outs on freeways and in subdivisions. My own daughter slipped in an unsalted parking lot.
People may even have perished through accidents and exposure.
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