Tag Archives: worry

Imagination Overtakes the Nap

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Exhaustion was nearing as Gracie and Emery (two of my granddaughters) headed upstairs for their naps. They were sharing a room for their rest time—since as cousins and best friends they desired to be together every possible moment during Gracie’s two- day visit. It had been a busy morning full of swimming and playing, so their moms thought it best they rest for a few hours after lunch.

After about an hour, the two came downstairs dressed like this.2476 Obviously, rest was not on their agenda—seemingly having been replaced by the myriad royal duties of princesses.

I smiled as this picture floated through my mind’s eye this morning as I sat on the front porch reading and meditating on God’s promises.

You see, I was struggling with anxious and fearful thoughts about several difficult situations that had arisen. When I get fearful I tend to look for something I can control (or at least try to control…as if I could). Certainly, a room needs to be cleaned or some task needs to be finished, right?

I then realized that I can be much like these little girls who were supposed to be resting—but instead of resting their imagination carried them to far away places.

God has given me every reason to rest in his presence and promises. So why do I get anxious when he has given me all that I need?  I find I must continually take time to refocus my heart on his greatness and his compassion. Otherwise, my imagination can take me to places of worry—doubting his capability and mistrusting his reliable love. When that happens, I don’t rest in his presence and promises.

However, when my heart is truly at rest… trusting God’s infinite wisdom, power and unimaginable love for me—my heart is secure and at peace.

Several scriptures refreshed my heart today. I encourage you to read them. They remind me:

  1. Rest is found in God’s presence

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)

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2)

The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. (Psalm 116:5-7)

“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. (Matthew 11:28-29)

2.  I am too often tempted to resist the rest he offers. (Not a good thing to resist)

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore your pursuers will be swift!  (Isaiah 30:15-16)

 This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’  (Jeremiah 6:16)

  1. We must decide whether or not to take the rest God offers us.

 For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. (Hebrews 4:8-11)

 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. (1 John 3:16-20)

May God’s rest overtake your (and my) imagination.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Eggs

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My hanging geranium plant has a guest.  A mama bird made a nest, moved in and laid five eggs. IMG_5075 The plant hangs on my front porch, and the anxious mama bird stays busy darting back and forth between an overhanging utility wire and her nest.  She flies back and forth whenever noise or movements startle her.   We go out the front door and drive up the driveway often, so she often comes and goes. According to my calculations, the eggs should hatch in the next couple of days, so I’ve been trying hard to provide her with as much peace and quiet as possible—which, on nights like last night—doesn’t always work so well.

I wasn’t quite sure how to make last evening’s hour-and-a-half impromptu fish fry with my kids, seven grandkids and four dogs—including a five-month-old labradoodle who was joyfully energetic after returning from his first ever grooming—quiet and peaceful.

Perhaps it was my neurotic concern for the bird, a picture of a snake I’d seen on Facebook, and an article about a near fatal accident that prompted my dream last night.  Or, maybe it happened to teach me a spiritual lesson.  Either way, it was one of those dreams that seems so realistic that you wake up exhausted from all the action.

The dream began with one of the grandkids putting the nest (complete with eggs) in his/her (can’t remember which one did this) mouth to see if that would make them hatch.  My daughter, concerned that it wasn’t best for her child to have a bird’s nest in his/her mouth, grabbed the nest and tried to put it back in its seemingly safe place.  However, she had forgotten that it belonged in the plant and instead put it in a crevice in the wall near the roof.  So, I attempted to relocate it back to its original position in the geranium.  As I reached in to grab the nest I realized it was encircled by a very large snake that had made its home in the crevice.  Terrified, I asked my daughter to distract the snake by playing drums on the side of the house.  It worked.  When the snake looked away I quickly (and bravely I might add) grabbed the nest and carried it back to the geranium—phwew—close call. 0604142111

All seemed to be well with the transition until the mother bird excitedly flew back toward her nest.  In her haste she flew into the porch ceiling, went limp and hit the floor with a thud.  I was devastated for the bird, and that after all the drama—this unfortunate series of events would end with a thud.   Of course, I did the only thing that could be done—performed CPR on the bird. It was a complete success as she got up and flew back to the plant and sat on her nest. What a relief!

Soon after waking up from this exhausting dream I went to check on the bird, fearing the worst.  She was there, still waiting and warming her eggs. I was relieved. As one who tends to be fearful and worry too often (hard to tell, I know)— I took this as a reminder of God’s loving care for me. I needed that.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 6:26-27  

 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31  

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Matthew 23:37

God has often rescued me out of the mouth of danger, lovingly lifted me to safe places, and performed spiritual CPR on me again and again. May I, as the scripture above states, always be willing to be gathered under his wings.

Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings. Psalm 17:8  

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Psalm 91:4

 

 

 

 

Carried Close to His Heart

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Isaiah 40:11

    He tends his flock like a shepherd:

        He gathers the lambs in his arms

    and carries them close to his heart;

        he gently leads those that have young.

I think of this verse as I watch my husband carry Jordan in and out of the house, first thing in the morning and  last thing at night.  This new routine is causing some back soreness, but we think it’s worth it. This caretaking of our invalid dog is teaching me many lessons.

Saturday morning I had a good cry –  a deep sob is more accurate.  It had been two days since Jordan had eaten or had drunk water.  He would and could not stand.  Wyndham and I concurred that we would wait until Monday to decide whether to put him down, but I felt the inevitable was approaching.

I had made him scrambled eggs, meat, and chicken soup – and offered them all to him.  He had no interest.  Then he surprised me. Saturday night, on a whim, I tried feeding him Ritz crackers with peanut butter on them.  Apparently, that hit the spot.  He at the whole roll of crackers.  Yesterday he had about 4 hamburgers, a chocolate chip cookie (his favorite…and chocolate hasn’t hurt him in his 14 years) and drank a lot of water.   Last night he stood up.  This morning, I cooked some ground beef (with  some mashed sweet potatoes added) and he ate it all from my hand.  Then, after being carried outside he stood up, did his business and wagged his tail.  It seems he truly is getting better!  Whether or not he will fully recover is still unknown, but I’m encouraged.

Meanwhile, I think about the fact that he is our dog.  A perfectly wonderful dog mind you; but I do realize he is not quite human.  I think about the tender loving care he needs right now and how eager I am to give it.  And I am a very imperfect human.

I can’t really begin to grasp the love God extends to me.  It floors me to think that I am made in his image….thought of even before I was born (Psalm 139) and that he gathers me in his arms, close to his heart as the scripture above states.  Shamefully, I worry about too many things.  Next time (likely later tonight) when I’m tempted to worry about something I need to remember how I feel about my dog… remember God’s loving care for me, his sheep.  Nothing is too big (or too little) for my God.

Matthew 6:25-27

    “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? [26] Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? [27] Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Luke 12:22-26

    Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. [23] Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. [24] Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! [25] Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? [26] Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?