Picked up a random poetry book From the crowded shelf. Quick easy hour read: Delight and wonder. Then, Found…
Finding Rest During the Busy Time of Year
How does your calendar look these days? Do you feel like you are going from one place to the next with barely time to just enjoy each activity? If you have kids, this might be more of a problem with concerts, sports, clubs, etc.; we mothers have this inherent need to keep the kids busy and entertained.
If you do not have kids, then perhaps you are just going from one work or social event to another to keep up your social standing. I at one point was telling my husband we “need to make an appearance” at least when it came to social events with family and friends. My belief was we needed to show up to places so people know we still cared. I eventually learned that this was not true and I can say no to things.
A Faithful Reminder for you who believe in God:
This morning, on the program, Keep the Faith, on my local Christian radio station, one woman shared her story about receiving mercy from God. She said how she has been so tired lately because of so much happening. She had been sitting in her living room one night, staring at their family Christmas tree full of special ornaments. She started to feel guilty for not being joyous at the reason for the season, feeling less like celebrating Christmas than she had ever before felt. I imagine she cried tears of exhaustion.
This was me last year. I had been so busy with my teaching job, getting the girls to their Girl Scout+ school things+friends’ events that I had been just too mentally exhausted to be present in the “reason for the season.” I had lost my ability to feel God’s presence and be filled with the Holy Spirit’s loving gift of God’s son, Jesus. This woman I heard today made me remember how sorrowful I had also felt at not being able to even pray thanksgiving for Jesus’ birth.
The woman went on to share how she prayed to God to help her find strength and to forgive her for being so distant. She said she felt God giving her mercy as He made her realize it was okay to just “rest” on His lap. God’s mercy is what a lot of us do not take time to receive.
Joyce Meyers, says, “When we try to do everything in our own strength and leave God out of the equation, we just get worn-out and frustrated by our mistakes and failures. But when we lean on God, we actually enter into His rest and can enjoy our lives, no matter what our circumstances may be.”
Mercy comes in many forms as explained in a post by biblestudytools.com : “In English translations of the Bible, it comes to expression in phrases such as ‘to be merciful,’ ‘to have mercy on,’ or ‘to show mercy toward.’ The corresponding term, ‘merciful,’ describes a quality of God and one that God requires of his people. The noun denotes compassion and love, not just feelings or emotions, as expressed in tangible ways.” More specifically, mercy is shown through: Salvation, Repentance, God’s Nature in the Old and New Testament, God’s Ministry through Jesus, and Recipients of God’s Mercy in the Bible,” (Elwell).
Please note that I am in no way a scholar of Biblical teachings; I am just a woman who has struggled with her own faith like so many because of different events that have happened to me and that I have allowed to happen to me. I have been disillusioned by my own church at different times solely because I too easily forget to pray to God for peace instead of letting others’ negative actions pull me down.
The woman I heard on the radio is a good reminder to all of us especially at this time of year that we only need to turn to God who is waiting for us to acknowledge Him so that He may be able to show us mercy, peace, and comfort.
“it is not exaggerating to say that life in Christ gives birth in believers’ hearts to a consciousness not only of being recipients of God’s mercy in one gift of salvation, but also of being daily recipients of fresh “mercies” of God, emblems of his ownership of us and care for us ( Rom 12:1 ; 2 Cor 1:3 ; all of the greetings cf. Lam 3:22-23 ),” (Elwell).
May you find God’s blessings every day as we move forward to Christmas. Remember what is important in your heart is also important to God. Take time to let God into your life despite the busyiness of the season.
Reference:
Elwell, W. A. (Ed.). (1996). Mercy Definition and Meaning – Bible Dictionary.”Baker Books, a division of Baker Book House Company. Retrieved from https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/mercy/.