John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Through all the worry and fear, though, God has been there, whispering peace to my frantic heart. Over and over, He's reminded me that He's walking this road with me. He whispers His promises - "I have a plan. You're going to be fine. ~Amanda at Grace in Our Moments
Though it's been years now since I've been compelled to rise and shine early on a daily basis to wake my children, and later, my step-sons, through elementary, middle and high school, and prepare myself for another day of teaching, I still have difficulty controlling and redirecting my frantic heart in morning's early hours. Even though I've left the ogre of a 5:00 a.m. kick-me-out-of-bed in the distant past, I can't seem to the escape the sense of urgency I feel the minute I wake up. It's akin to that panic I used to feel when I feared being late for work or realized I'd forgotten to bring something with me which was all-important to a successful lesson.
Frantic. Rush to brew the coffee. Race to turn on the computer. Quickly, quickly peruse the e-mails, then off to Facebook, responding to blog comments, reading others' blogs, sharing, commenting, tweeting . . .
Frantic!
Stop!!!
What on earth, or in heaven, am I thinking? Can't the demands of the world wait when the most important conversation I'll have all day is with God?
As Amanda writes: He whispers His promises - "I have a plan. You're going to be fine."
God doesn't want me to rush; He wants me to slow down. To catch my breath. To not gulp down my coffee when I should savor each sip.
The Lord, in love with us, His fragile creatures, desires us to treasure and revel in every precious moment He gives. God wants us to know it will be fine because it's not about racing around heedlessly. It's not about immediately meeting the expectations of others, real or imagined.
It's about resting in Him. Trusting in His presence and His timing. If we consciously turn over the day to God the moment our feet hit the floor, He will be faithful to steer us true and calm our hearts even when the storms rage.
So now, the second I feel that old, all-too-familiar frantic sensation creeping into my heart, I pray for God's peace.
And it always comes . . .
~
Are you starting off your day with the Lord?
Prayer: Father, when our lives seem to be whirling out of control and our hearts grow frantic, fill us with Your peace that we might know living in Your presence is all that matters. In Jesus' name, amen.
I know that sense of panic, because I fee it every morning, too. Rush to unload the dishwasher, restart the laundry, get dinner in the crockpot, rush off to work, hurry home after work... I'm trying to turn each day over to Him. I'm so honored that you quoted me in this. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for letting me do so, Amanda! Yes, the lives of working moms can be so hectic, as both you and I know. All we can do is turn the day over to the Lord and trust He will fill us with His peace.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I don't have a sense of panic in the morning. I rise early (4:00) to get to the office. But I changed my routine this morning. Instead of turning on the computer, reading some emails, browsing some blogs, and looking at the news, I decided to leave it off and have my Encounter Time. It was a welcome and nice change, one I will continue. No frantic. Just a sense of urgency to meet with the Father.
ReplyDeleteBill, that sounds wonderful. I've been contemplating doing that exact same thing (though not at 4:00!) - skipping the computer and just spending time with God in quiet and reflection. And the only sense of urgency we should feel IS to meet with our Father.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Those first few years of living in a third world country in a remote place without the conveniences of stateside living were filled with a lot of panic. How am I going feed a family of 10 who came without notice on what little I had in my pantry. How am I going to say what I need to say in a language that I know little. My trust grew by leaps and bounds that God would provide and give me wisdom to meet those frantic needs. I am so not a morning person but late night meeting with the Lord and a frantic plea for help in the morning became a must for me. I never cease to be amazed at how God will meet us where we are in our situation and never fail to answer prayer even when we fail to trust. Good post.
ReplyDeleteWow, Betty, I'm truly impressed by your service as a foreign missionary. To be honest, I don't know if I could have done what you did even with abounding trust in God.
DeleteI'm so glad to hear how the Lord met your needs and that you never stopped running to Him for the answers. Isn't it a blessing that He meets us where we are and blesses us in ways we could never have imagined. Your comment here has made my day just that much better!
Love and blessings!
Those first few years of living in a third world country in a remote place without the conveniences of stateside living were filled with a lot of panic. How am I going feed a family of 10 who came without notice on what little I had in my pantry. How am I going to say what I need to say in a language that I know little. My trust grew by leaps and bounds that God would provide and give me wisdom to meet those frantic needs. I am so not a morning person but late night meeting with the Lord and a frantic plea for help in the morning became a must for me. I never cease to be amazed at how God will meet us where we are in our situation and never fail to answer prayer even when we fail to trust. Good post.
ReplyDeleteBetty, this is an amazing testimony! God will indeed meet us when we are most in need of His presence and guidance. He has blessed you, indeed!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Today this post really resonates with me. I often pray for a story to come, for the words to come, so I can write, and lately my brain is just blank. So my energies have drifted elsewhere eventually because I realize that maybe I shouldn't settle on mediocre but strive for my best and if I just don't have it...to just not force it. Writing is frustrating business for me these days. I get more satisfaction out of baking bread these days. I used to be frantic...and now I just am not. Occasionally I am still gripped with worry...and then I finally let go, and let God and trust that I am exactly where he wants me to be...whether I like it or not. He knows best.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Kathy, for sharing so candidly where you are right now. When I read that the writing was eluding you and that you "shouldn't settle on mediocre but strive for [your] best" I sensed that God may be purposely moving you in a different direction, probably, knowing Him as I do, to realize gifts He is prepared to give you. And we all have those moments of worry, don't we? So glad you are learning to let go and let God - it's been a hard lesson for me, but so well worth it! And definitely, our Father knows best!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, another deeply meaningful post! I'm an EARLY riser--nearly always awake BEFORE my alarm (I won't say how early!)--in fact, those rare times I sleep to my alarm I end up groggy for a ridiculously long time. :)
ReplyDeleteEach day starts with prayer and time in the Word, as well as reading devotionals (specifically hard copy this year). After that is done, I journal nearly every day, trying to write a bit from my heart (prayers of longing etc.) and what "spoke" to me from the words of others.
After I'm done with all of that is when I head to my computer. Since I've done this now for several years, I'd be completely lost if I tried anything else! Even with all this...I'm much too familiar with feeling frantic!
Love and blessings!
Kim, thank you for sharing your morning routine here. It is solid and prayer-filled. As I expressed to Bill in a comment above, I am seriously looking to change how I meet my mornings so they are filled with God's grace, not frantic panic. I think this would be a terrific practice to begin with Lent and keep it going past Easter and into the year. My computer can wait! :)
DeleteLove and blessings!
Thank you Martha for this message. I've lived both ways of living. Frantically and now in surrender:) I sleep a lot better now a days when I realize that God's in control. But I do occasionally set the alarm clock too - He's in control but not sure if I can count on a 7 am wakeup call:)
ReplyDeleteGod can't be found in rush hour. He's there in the silence and slowness of our mornings. He's there during reflection, prayer and I've found, even in writing:)
"God can't be found in rush hour." Truer words have not been spoken, Vishnu! He is there for us when we slow down and actually wait upon Him. I, too, find Him in my writing, over and over again. As I was working on the new novel just today, He surprised and delighted me with twist and turns and fresh inspiration. No wonder I enjoy writing so much!
DeleteEnjoy the peace of His presence, my friend!
Love and blessings!
This is something I too identify with. Apart from seeking God, it is also a time to connect with self...a time for quality ME time.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Janu! I think that when we take that time to seek God, we do get a much better grip on who we are meant to be and how we can live our lives with true meaning and purpose.
DeleteLove and blessings!
I connect with your thoughts Martha... and yes everything can wait for THIS is the time when one should connect with God, gather some positive thoughts before beginning to run around the world chasing their dreams.
ReplyDeleteIt is said scientifically that we are at our best in the morning so any work you do at that time you are bound the gather double the results of the effort and hence it is advised to pray, work out, read some positive things :)
I didn't know that all those wonderful things were scientifically proven - wow! I don't doubt it, though, as I know when I do any of those activities in the morning, my day always runs smoother and is much more productive.
DeleteI'm so glad you connected with this post, Privy!
Love and blessings!