Rest in The Season

 

Jon Sailer photographer

“Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.

With the chaos of today’s world, we need Jesus more than ever. This past year has been a test for friends, family, loved ones, communities, businesses and more. We are weary, our burdens are heavy, but yet we continue to carry them. He says come to him, let him take our burdens, and let us rest. We press on because we think we got this, we can solve it, we can carry them, that is until we fall down from the weight of the burdens.

This year has found me and my own family heavy with burden. My honey has suffered a stroke, my son has been in lock down and distrusts me and my decisions on how to move through this time. My children no longer talk to each other. My heart has been beaten and battered and yet I carry my burdens on, until recently. I moved away from the Lord to self righteousness and lost my way.

Anxiety became my friend and stress is my sidekick A racing heart is what I have to show for it. He said come and I do, yet my burdens I feel are mine to bear, but he said to give them to him, yet I know I can deal with it all myself. That was until the point where I could not. I was placed on anxiety meds that gave me such a horrible reaction, I had a heart that seemed to race and skip a beat, I hid myself and my problems in a closet. I knew they still existed, but I did not listen and give him my burdens. I knew how to deal with it better then God. Until I thought of the Bible verse below:

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress; I will never be shaken.

~Psalm 62:1–2

I had been shaken because through all this chaos church was also moved to online. No longer was the church allowing me in to give up my burdens and rest inside their walls. I soul searched, I tried to reconnect with my son, but after many tears, holidays of him not attending, and insulting how I choose to live I remembered, “He is my rock, my fortress.” That is why I was crumbling. I was carrying weight that I was not made to carry. I was outside the fortress of Jesus and struggling to ever breathe again. My burdens were a stone I could not throw off, but he reminded me in that Bible verse that, “My soul finds rest in God alone.” Alone! Not by myself alone, but with him alone. He stayed next to me through all of this, even now, until I realized I was the one who pushed him away.

By thinking I could do it all, I was telling God I did not need him, when in all seriousness, I needed him more now than ever. I was saying I knew better then the Lord. He is the way, the truth, the light, the rest for my weary tired falling apart soul. I only needed to turn to him and lay my burdens down to receive the rest I needed so badly. When I was ready, he was there, opened arms telling me come child and give me your burdens. I placed them at his feet and walked away from them.

Isaiah 40:29–31

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah reminded me that I do have the strength to deal with all the world has thrown at me and my family. I have hope in God and he renewed my strength again and again and again. With him as my leader aiding me to move forward through family issues, through this time of struggle. A time when everything feels heavy, I know with the Lord I have the strength. He will take my burdens if I only give them to him, so I did. The important part is to let him keep the problems weighing me down. A lot of times we give them to God, but then turn around and take them right back. For me I know that my faith is strong, my hope is abundant, and when I am weary, he will be holding me up, walking with me and giving me strength and giving allowing me rest for the remainder of my days. Everything in my world is not ok, but God has me firmly in his care and for that I am extremely grateful. 

I wrote this for a prompt for an online magazine. As it is not being published I can finally share it with you all. Nest was the topic. I am all about the nesting. I believe in its restorative powers. I hope you have a nest you can rest in whenever you need it.

May this article be of benefit,

your storyteller, poet

Debbie

xoxoxoxo

PS Hope you are all making it through this pandemic, but not only making it but thriving. Happy Nesting!!