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Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)
Matthew 11:28-29 – Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 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. (NIV)
Isaiah 26:3 – You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. (NIV 2011)
As a retiree, I have kept myself busy since my husband's death seven years ago, volunteering in many organizations. At times, the pace of these commitments was hectic, but I soldiered on, afraid not to be occupied and thus alone.
My parents, both in their nineties and with multiple health concerns, recently had to give up their independent living and be moved to a seniors' residence here in the town where I live. The transition included several hospital stays and a lot of travelling over a four-month period, and even now that they're settled, there have been additional hospital stays and medical concerns.
While I remain somewhat busy with volunteering, my heart is not in it anymore, and I seem to be in a holding pattern, waiting for the next crisis to arise. While I'm not anxious, I feel disconnected in some way from my life. I value my contemplative time much more than I normally do, and I can spend long periods doing nothing but thinking. I worry that I am becoming clinically depressed.
Then it occurred to me that maybe God is ordering a rest period for me. In all things, I try to trust in Him and remember that His outcome will not be affected by my anxiety or hyperactivity. Perhaps in the whirlwind of recent events, I have become fatigued, and I have forgotten to trust Him with my health, as well as that of others. I like to think that God is steering the ship right now so that I can recover my strength. Even God rested on the seventh day.
Christians tend to forget that with God, our efforts will be enough to do His work, and we don't need to labour excessively or to exhaustion. He wants us to have time to rest and recharge.
Hebrews 10:23 – Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. (NIV)
Prayer: Father God, we ask You to help us in our busy lives to remember that You are with us in the situations that we face. Remind us that You do not need our help to get Your work done, but rather, You want our enthusiastic participation, given freely. We praise and thank You for Your promise of being with us always, and we ask that You would help us to remember that when life gets stressful, You will hold us in Your loving arms while we rest. Amen.
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Thanks for an honest sharing Karen. God will provide.
Thank you Karen! That is exactly what I needed to read this morning.
God bless.
Thank you Karen ~ another reminder of the message ‘Be still and know that I AM God’.
Hello Karen:
Your prayer says it all. This is one I will keep and read again and again when I find things building up. Thank you.
Karen, I really appreciated what you shared and was especially blessed by the picture you painted in your prayer of resting peacefully in our heavenly Father’s strong and comforting arms.
Karen – What a great thought for today and everyday. Our resting in His arms does give us more power when we resume our activities. Thank you for writing; may our dear Lord bless you in a special way today.
(California, USA)
Having been where you are, may I share the verse God brought to me?
“He makes me to lie down in green pastures (THEN) He restores soul.”
He is faithful to do it as you quietly wait for Him to speak.
HI KAREN
Thank you for your lovely devotion.
I also feel the same as you do but have to remember that GOD IS ALWAYS WITH US.
Blessings.
Good Morning Karen! And oh my gosh! I think you were writing this devotion for me alone!! This is exactly what I needed to read this morning, so THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
I won’t go in to my story but honestly I did need to hear your words this morning.
So may God continue to bless you as you share His love with others. And continue your writings!!
Dear Karen,
I identify with so much of what you said today. Thank you for sharing these thoughts. May God bless you with His peace and joy today and always.
This morning the Holy Spirit encouraged me with this verse 2 Tim 1:12.
What a mighty God we serve!
Dear Karen;
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, the readers. I know what you are talking about and have been there. Sometimes, God MAKES us to lie down in green pastures for a much needed rest. You are still doing HIS work by sharing your story and feelings and trusting and thanking our heavenly Father. Keep writing.
Karen, thank you for your thoughtful message today. As a retiree, myself, experiencing the slowing up of getting older, I appreciate your thoughts.
Blessings!
Dear Karen,
Thank you for the good advice for us seniors.
And in your own life, I think you are wise to settle a bit for a short time. But be sure to keep with your best interests in the way of being helpful.
Purposefulness in God’s kingdom is a boon to the good life.
I enjoyed your choice of Bible verses. Keep sharing them with your family, friends, and neighbors — and put in John 3:16 too.
Keep writing.
Hi Karen, Thanks for a great devotional. I lost my husband over 4 years ago and like you, kept myself running all the time! I retired 2 years after his death and have slowed down in a lot of ways. I still volunteer, but at a pace I am comfortable with. I feel that God has been giving me a rest time as even before he passed away, I was providing seniors with a lot of care and and was burning out. I now enjoy what I am doing (esp.now that gardening season is here again) and know that I will be ready for whatever God brings my way in His good timing. Enjoy this time of rest and know that God has you where He knows is best for you.
Good morning from the West Coast, dear Karen,
I want to thank you for your devotional this morning. I understand very much how you are feeling, as I went through a similar experience a few years ago. I am thankful that our Lord has given you insight into the need for a time of rest. I am reminded of our old children’s hymn “Jesus Loves Me” – “I am weak but you are strong”. Sometimes we feel we need to be so strong for others that we neglect God’s direction to take rest and restoration for ourselves. Please do take the opportunity to immerse yourself in His Word and find peace and comfort there.
So, thank you for sharing your experience and the beautiful choices of scripture. It was very helpful today!
(BC)
Karen: I thought you were describing the burden I feel due to the commitments I have voluntarily accepted and some thrust upon me over the years and which I stubbornly feel I must continue to carry. Because of my age, I guess, I tire more easily and come to resent my ‘obligations’. I haven’t thought of approaching God for help and guidance but, as you have suggested, shall do so from now on.
Obviously I appreciated the Devotion with your special content.