Infact, Jesus referred to it as bearing one’s cross.
Matthew 16:24 KJV — Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
It means to die.
To surrender our lives into God’s hands.
Which is why I’m resting today.
I’ve been struggling since I came back from down south.
My asthma has been causing me problems.
Therefore, I wasn’t too surprised when the Lord told me to stay in bed today.
Yes, there is homeschooling to do.
Yes, there is laundry.
Yes, I’m going to stay in bed and let my family handle it.
Obedience is better than trying to force things to happen as I think they need to be.
And I can praise God while I surrender my agenda into His hands.
What an incredible God He is!
He gives me exactly what I need, whether I realize it or not.
Philippians 4:19 KJV — But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
And today, I need rest.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your faithfulness. Your love is ever abounding and I am humbled. Jesus, I surrender my day, my thoughts, and my ideas to You. Please help me to remain at rest in Your direction and to walk in Your will. Lord Jesus, please supply those things which are needed. Please guide and direct us. Lord Jesus, please help us to see through Your perspective, that we might not chase after anything but You. I love You. Thank You for first loving me. Amen.
Psalm 111:4 KJV — He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
I had not realized how much I had wanted to learn this.
Yet, in a conversation with our Bell I realized it might be another gift from God.
He’s blessed me in so many ways, it’s overwhelming.
Yet, I’m learning to simply say, “Thank You, Lord” and walk in whatever He has for me.
Whether I view it as a blessing or not.
This circumstance was definitely a blessing.
Bell bought me the crochet thread and I began on my first table runner.
It took longer than expected.
Yet, I was excited to make it.
Everyone liked it.
Bell encouraged me to try other patterns.
So, the Lord helped me find a YouTube video and I began making these Celtic Flowers.
Once I have enough, I’ll crochet them together.
Although they are more time consuming than I’d prefer, I’m definitely learning patience.
To make each stitch carefully and to be willing to rip it out when I have made a mistake.
After I finished my second table runner, Sis looked at me.
“Mom, I really have a new appreciation for all those doilies I’ve seen over the years.”
I smiled.
“Me too!”
And in this journey of learning something new, I’m trying to be aware of other things.
How many times have I just taken things for granted?
I know my asthma has taught me to be thankful for every breath.
My crocheting has taught me to be thankful for handmade items.
My health has taught me to be thankful for pain.
Without pain, I don’t know when something is wrong.
Without the understanding of my physical or spiritual needs, I’m not going to change my habits or actions or attitudes.
Of course, all these changes are made through Christ Jesus, who helps me learn self discipline.
And as these changes occur, I find life so much more a joy.
The closer I walk with Jesus, the more I learn how to abide in His peace, His joy, and His love.
I learn how to trust Him more.
I learn how to surrender more.
Galatians 2:20 KJV — I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
We were going to put in raised beds so we could grow a few veggies.
Because our family loves gardening, especially vegetables.
The shape and configuration of the back garden is very unique.
It’s similar to a flat topped triangle, beginning on either side of the house and tapering down till the back fence cuts it off straight.
Since the yard doesn’t face directly East, but is angled to the Northeast, and has trees on three sides, the yard has more shade than sun.
Just before he was supposed to purchase the materials for the raised beds, my husband came to chat with me about a change.
He shared what the Lord had put on his heart, and we knew.
It wasn’t God’s will to put in the raised beds.
I’ll admit it.
I was disappointed.
I spoke to the Lord about my disappointment, and He graciously listened.
Trust Me.
I know what’s best.
And I let it go.
I know it probably seems trivial and silly that growing veggies would mean so much to me, but it’s one of the things which I have done to bless my family.
It has always been a joy for all of us.
Although, I couldn’t understand why God wasn’t allowing it, I was willing to move on.
My husband even looked at me, hugged me, and said, “Don’t worry, we will grow flowers.”
Which has been a blessing as well.
We have lovely potted plants and the front yard is so pretty with the bushes already established and the plants my husband added.
Whenever I caught myself yearning for a vegetable garden, I’d ask the Lord to remove the desire, ask for His forgiveness in not resting in His perfect will, and I would thank Him for all His provision and blessings.
This Saturday, Anne and I were pretty much on our own, Jase and my husband were helping a neighbor move.
I mentioned to her the last section of yard which really needed attention before it became so overgrown we couldn’t get to it.
She put in a full day of work and I set timers on my phone in an effort to keep from over doing it.
Late afternoon rolled in and I sat looking at the progress when I realized something.
I’m certain it was the Lord.
One portion of yard near the back fence was in the sun.
It had been that way all day.
I told Anne, “We might be able to grow some tomatoes or something!”
She was thrilled.
When the guys were back, we shared our discovery.
And today, there’s a veggie garden in that same section of yard.
My husband had gone and gotten a load of top soil and plants.
The kids finished cleaning up all the brush, weeds, and branches.
Truly, it is a joy for all of us.
And once again, I’m amazed at God.
He knew what was best.
He allowed me to give up my desire to His perfect will, because He had a far better plan.
It’s just another tiny example that He cares for the details, far more than we realize.
Matthew 10:29 NKJV — “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You so much for caring for the tiniest details. Thank You for showing me that surrender of my own plans and ideas is always best, and sometimes You allow a desire to linger in my heart, because You are still working in it and through it to teach me about myself and about You. Jesus, how I want to obey Your every Word! But I am weak and frail and often I make so many mistakes. Please use those things for Your glory and hone my stubborn heart into Your perfect will. Teach me humility and grace, that I might be loving, gentle, tender, kind, and strong. Not for my own gain, but for the testimony of Your goodness and mercy. Thank You, Jesus. I love You! Amen.
Yesterday morning, I began the day with an asthma attack.
Although I’m super thankful for my nebulizer, I was sad to have to use it.
It’s been a long time since it’s been needed.
My day, therefore didn’t look like what I had planned.
Jase had to work his school mostly on his own.
Meals were leftovers, reheated.
(Praise God for our microwave and the leftovers!)
My asthma didn’t allow much, but I was glad to be on the couch instead of the bed.
When I got up this morning, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Praise the Lord, I’m breathing pretty well.
I’m still sluggish and slow, but so thankful to God for the ability to do a few little things.
And I’m enjoying the opportunity to pray more.
When my activities slim down, my heart finds it easier to remain in prayer.
So, I’m praising God for His rest.
I hadn’t scheduled it for today or yesterday, but since it’s required why chaff at putting off my own plans?
Instead, I’m embracing God’s.
After all His ways are best.
Isaiah 2:3 NKJV — Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
Dear Lord Jesus,
Thank You for Your plans for each day. Lord, I know there is so much sin and wickedness in the world that we can often forget how much good there is as well. After all, You are good and You are far bigger than Your creation. Thank You for holding us in Your hands and walking us forward into Your truths. Lord, please help us to live for You in our actions, our thoughts, and our attitudes. Lord, please let our mouths be full of Your praise, our hearts full of Your love, and our minds full of Your truth. Thank You, Jesus! Amen.
“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
John 14:27 NKJV
From Jesus’s own words,
we see that true peace is a gift,
but we can not walk in it
through anything the world offers,
nor while we are being snared
by the enemy in worry or fear.
“Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.”
Psalms 34:14 NKJV
“Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret— it only causes harm…But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
Psalms 37:8,11 NKJV
True peace is a place we reach when we choose the Lord over ourselves.
Anger is a secondary emotion.
It always covers another.
Hurt, sadness, grief, embarrassment and many more can be found underneath anger.
To put off anger we must deal with what lies beneath.
Often those other emotions are tied to how we view ourselves and our views of others.
When we totally surrender our lives to Christ,
He can deal with the affects of sin.
Bitterness, envy, strife, selfishness, are all byproducts of sin and lead to all kinds of death.
Death to relationships, death to joy, death to compassion and empathy, death to communion with God.
Jesus loves us and He physically died and rose again to free us from both sin and death.
But He won’t turn you into a robot.
Someone who has no mind or choice of their own.
Instead He reaches out His hand and offers.
He offers to remove the ugly and replace it with good,
but it’s up to the individual.
Will you surrender your will to His?
Will you choose to let Him underneath the walls of protection inside your own heart?
Will you forgive those who have harmed you,
even if that one is you?
If we choose to surrender,
then we are choosing peace.
True peace,
from the only place it can be found.
“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all.”
II Thessalonians 3:16 NKJV
I realized this morning that those words are life changing.
Many years ago, as I read my Bible I read those words and realized how much I long for that to be me.
When I reach heaven, I want to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
And yet I am a wretched sinner who struggles daily with simply living in and walking in God’s will.
At that moment Jesus opened my heart and showed me: it comes down to surrender.
If I choose, moment by moment, to surrender my very thoughts before the Lord Jesus then I will be shown the path of servant-hood.
Why?
Because that’s exactly what Jesus did.
He left the glory and magnificence of heaven for the humility of humanity.
And he didn’t even come as a wealthy proud dictator.
He came as a humble carpenter rabbi.
-wow-
He purposely threw off all mankind’s ideas of what the important people “do”.
He came to serve.
And to hear those words, I too need to place priority on service.
And it is servant-hood before Jesus.
All the service done to man is worthless if I’m not serving Christ first.
So as I walk into today, I’m glad of the memory and the reminder.
I want to hear the Father call me a good and faithful servant.
“Jesus,
Please help me to surrender all myself today and simply walk with You as a servant. Help me to hear Your voice and to respond quickly to Your calling. Please help me to learn Your Word each day that I might not sin against You. For I do not want anything to hinder my walk with You, Jesus. Thank You so much for loving me.”
patientlyhopeful 