Rest for Your Soul

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.  Matthew 11:28-30

Have you ever felt so tired that your emotions are raw and exposed? You find it difficult to concentrate, are impatient, resentful and quick to anger? You can’t seem to find the energy to do the things you enjoy most, like a bike ride or walk on the beach. You are drained of energy, lethargic and you feel like you can’t do one more thing.  No matter what you do, you can’t seem to shake this feeling of mental and emotional exhaustion.  

We all experience periods of exhaustion brought on by worry, stress, anxiety, boredom, not being able to sleep and/or when the activities of life simply overwhelm us. Of course if the fatigue lasts longer that two weeks, it may time to see a doctor, to make sure that there isn’t some underlying medical condition. For most of us though the condition is temporary and situational.  We get so focused on the “to do” and forget about the “just being”.  

We know that eating nutritious food and exercise are essential for living a healthy and productive life.  It is also important to take some quiet “me time" to do the things that bring pleasure, such as reading a book, writing, playing or listening to music, or a walk to commune with nature. Quiet time affords us the opportunity to reflect and pray.  

Most importantly, prayers of gratitude, faith and forgiveness during times of fatigue are most effective at lifting us up and help us to become more energized. When we start by handing over all of our worries to God, and come to him with a heart filled with gratitude, our burden becomes light and our yoke becomes easy to bear.  

Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

³¹ But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Dear God, 

I come to you today filled with humility, gratitude and joy for the many blessings you have afforded me. I am grateful for my health, my loving spouse, my dear sweet caring friends and family and for providing me with all that I need to live a peaceful, faith-filled life. Thank you for this beautiful warm Spring day. The gentle blossom scented breeze washes over me and I feel your presence and your love. I will revel in this quiet moment of joy and peace, carry it with me and live this day with a thankful heart.  

Amen    

⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 (NKJV) 

The Lord is My Shepherd

James 4:14 (NKJV)  ¹⁴ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Kelly opened the passenger side of her old beat up Ford pick-up truck and lifted her squirming five-year old daughter into the passenger seat.  

“Stop wiggling Jessica”, she said gently buckling her into the seat trying not to wrinkle her frilly yellow taffeta dress. She completed the task with a tender kiss on her forehead and reveled in the sweet smell of Jessica’s freshly washed hair. Jessica laughed out loud wiggling her feet, happy to be wearing her shiny black dress-up shoes. She was delighted to be going to a church on a Wednesday.  

Jessica sang loudly, “Jesus loves me this I know. For the bible tells me so.” 

Kelly took a deep breath as she settled in behind the wheel of the truck and began the forty-five minute drive to Our Saviors Lutheran church. Her cousin Robert died last week at the age of fifty after a long battle with cancer. The memorial service is at 1pm and they should make it with plenty of time.  

Jessica stopped singing and with eyebrows furrowed asked, “What happens when you die?”

Kelly gulped and thought for a moment trying to figure out how to articulate an answer that a child her age could understand. 

“When you die”, she started slowly, "it is because God wants you to come home to heaven to be with him, so he puts your body into a deep, deep sleep and then your soul fly’s up to heaven.”

“Like a bird!” Jessica exclaimed clapping her hands.  

Kelly nodded and smiled at her beautiful precious daughter. 

With unending curiosity Jessica asked, “Mommy, what is a soul?” 

Kelly took her time and after a few minutes explained, “Your soul is the joyful spirit that God put inside your body when you were born. Your soul never dies or sleeps like your body. Your soul lives forever.”

During the ten minutes of silence that followed Kelly remembered the fun she had with her cousin Robert when they were children. Robert had dark curly hair and the deepest blackest mesmerizing eyes she had ever seen. He was always small for his age but lived life with a quiet yet very determined spirit. At family gatherings Robert was the leader and organizer for every activity. He loved life with a passion that inspired and being a bit of a prankster he loved to have fun. 

She fondly remembered family camping trips in the mountains, summer picnics, Christmas at grandma’s house and blessed weekend trips to the shore. The thought that she would never see him, hear his voice or hug him again on this earth suddenly struck her and she began to cry. 

“Mommy?” Jessica asked with concern at seeing her mother cry “Are you afraid of dying?” 

Kelly smiled through her tears lovingly at her daughter and said, “No darling, I am not afraid of dying. When we die, we get to go to heaven to be with our heavenly Father. There is no pain, no sickness and no worries in heaven. Everyone is beautiful just as the Father sees us here on earth.”  

“I want to go to heaven someday Mommy”, Jessica proclaimed.  

“You will honey, don’t worry, you will.”  

Psalms 23: 1-6

The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.
 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell^[ in the house of the Lord Forever.

This blog is dedicated in the memory of our dear friend Herman who passed away this weekend.  He is now in the loving arms of our heavenly Father, happily strumming his guitar free from pain.  Play on Herman, play on!