there is still a voice that insists the i 'should get out and walk more, should exercise, should, should, should.' there is a gentler, softer voice that asks, 'why?' that's the voice that i am listening to these days as both age and heart issues take their toll along with the fibromyalgia. this is where st. john of the cross helps me. he reminds me to be silent, to rest in God and to love. that's truly all that matters.
Dear Greta, I’m glad you are learning to listen to the voice of wisdom, reason and rest rather than the one of pressure, rush and hurry that’s more performance based. It’s particularly important to rest when we have chronic illnesses and are going through the ageing process. Taking note of the words from St. John of the Cross is helpful too. Seek the thing that truly matters. Sit at His feet like Mary did. Love God and let Him pour His Love on you, sweet friend.
"(...) He requires our surrendered lives, our attentive minds and receptive hearts."
How true. And every time I don't give Him that and more, I'm the one feeling like an empty shell, hollowed out, craving life, and thirsty for His water. My Life was with me (especially closely) and I didn't honour Him as I should... grief grief grief
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?
Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.
I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Joy, I can hear His voice in these words, even if I believe that sometimes we do need a few heavy things to teach us things we wouldn't learn otherwise (and I speak only for myself: I know this was and is true in my life). His gentleness, His tenderness, His love... it's all there.
Thank you dearest.
Rest well. I know you will find Him in the soft waves. I do.
Gracie, it can feel like a hard ask to give God our surrendered lives, undivided attention and receptive hearts. Yet every small step we take in that direction is met by holy, unconditional love, not exasperation or criticism. Keep on making those tiny movements toward Him and you will be rewarded. He loves you so much and He longs for you and me to reach out in faith, to offer our willing hearts.
It’s also a challenge to live lightly and freely when so many things in life weigh us down. It’s not something we can achieve in our human strength. If we take time to offload our burdens, worries and cares to God on a daily basis, it will become more of an ingrained habit. The heavy things we carry do seem to serve a purpose of shaping our character and teaching us how to lean more closely on the Lord. May those soft waves of grace continue to comfort you, dear friend.
"Rest is vital for our bodies and souls. I learnt the hard way that if we don’t make space in our days to pause and rest, then all our efforts to keep on keeping on will only result in burnout, breakdown, and stress."
But it seems He is taking the lesson deeper within me now, as this aFib will not settle down. It is a quandary, when we have slowed all that we know, and there remains a deeper stillness to be found. Thank you for this encouragement to surrender all to Jesus again, and watch for His gentle ways. Bless you my sister, as you walk His pathway also. Love & prayers! ❤️🙏
Dear Bettie, I’m so sorry the aFib isn’t slowing down despite you doing all you can to rest and slow. Sometimes our best efforts don’t yield the results we want. Try not to chastise yourself when your body doesn’t respond to all you are doing to keep it calm.
Our numerous thoughts can race and run away with us, but as we seek to take them captive to Christ, we can begin to distinguish between those that require our immediate attention and those we need to release. As you are also grieving a great loss, it’s bound to impact your emotional state.
May God lead you into that deeper stillness you seem to be led towards. It’s where His peace reigns and His inestimable comfort can be found. I’m praying for you, dear friend. May there soon be signs of change for the better to bring you hope and encouragement. Love and hugs. ❤️🙏🏻🕊️
there is still a voice that insists the i 'should get out and walk more, should exercise, should, should, should.' there is a gentler, softer voice that asks, 'why?' that's the voice that i am listening to these days as both age and heart issues take their toll along with the fibromyalgia. this is where st. john of the cross helps me. he reminds me to be silent, to rest in God and to love. that's truly all that matters.
Dear Greta, I’m glad you are learning to listen to the voice of wisdom, reason and rest rather than the one of pressure, rush and hurry that’s more performance based. It’s particularly important to rest when we have chronic illnesses and are going through the ageing process. Taking note of the words from St. John of the Cross is helpful too. Seek the thing that truly matters. Sit at His feet like Mary did. Love God and let Him pour His Love on you, sweet friend.
"(...) He requires our surrendered lives, our attentive minds and receptive hearts."
How true. And every time I don't give Him that and more, I'm the one feeling like an empty shell, hollowed out, craving life, and thirsty for His water. My Life was with me (especially closely) and I didn't honour Him as I should... grief grief grief
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?
Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life.
I’ll show you how to take a real rest.
Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.
I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
Joy, I can hear His voice in these words, even if I believe that sometimes we do need a few heavy things to teach us things we wouldn't learn otherwise (and I speak only for myself: I know this was and is true in my life). His gentleness, His tenderness, His love... it's all there.
Thank you dearest.
Rest well. I know you will find Him in the soft waves. I do.
Gracie, it can feel like a hard ask to give God our surrendered lives, undivided attention and receptive hearts. Yet every small step we take in that direction is met by holy, unconditional love, not exasperation or criticism. Keep on making those tiny movements toward Him and you will be rewarded. He loves you so much and He longs for you and me to reach out in faith, to offer our willing hearts.
It’s also a challenge to live lightly and freely when so many things in life weigh us down. It’s not something we can achieve in our human strength. If we take time to offload our burdens, worries and cares to God on a daily basis, it will become more of an ingrained habit. The heavy things we carry do seem to serve a purpose of shaping our character and teaching us how to lean more closely on the Lord. May those soft waves of grace continue to comfort you, dear friend.
What a beautiful calming reflection, I resonate with this invitation to slow down and rest. Thank you Joy 💗
I’m so glad it spoke to you, Jenneth. Thank you for sharing it. Bless you, dear friend. 💜
Warm blessings dear Joy 💗
Dear Joy,
Oh yes, I have learned this too:
"Rest is vital for our bodies and souls. I learnt the hard way that if we don’t make space in our days to pause and rest, then all our efforts to keep on keeping on will only result in burnout, breakdown, and stress."
But it seems He is taking the lesson deeper within me now, as this aFib will not settle down. It is a quandary, when we have slowed all that we know, and there remains a deeper stillness to be found. Thank you for this encouragement to surrender all to Jesus again, and watch for His gentle ways. Bless you my sister, as you walk His pathway also. Love & prayers! ❤️🙏
Dear Bettie, I’m so sorry the aFib isn’t slowing down despite you doing all you can to rest and slow. Sometimes our best efforts don’t yield the results we want. Try not to chastise yourself when your body doesn’t respond to all you are doing to keep it calm.
Our numerous thoughts can race and run away with us, but as we seek to take them captive to Christ, we can begin to distinguish between those that require our immediate attention and those we need to release. As you are also grieving a great loss, it’s bound to impact your emotional state.
May God lead you into that deeper stillness you seem to be led towards. It’s where His peace reigns and His inestimable comfort can be found. I’m praying for you, dear friend. May there soon be signs of change for the better to bring you hope and encouragement. Love and hugs. ❤️🙏🏻🕊️
Great post! Rest is so much needed for our body, mind and soul! Even God rested from His work on the last day!
Yes, rest is essential and we resist it at our peril. Thank you for reminding me of the sacred example God has set us. Bless you, my friend.
Wishing you a beautiful week out there and thanks for sharing
Thank you for reading and responding, Shering. May you have a blessed, beautiful week too.