Isaiah 50:4 “The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed
tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my
ear to listen as one being taught.”
Today is a foggy, dripping dreary looking day, and as I sit
here watching the cars go by and a busy day starting for the students and
staff across the street, I enjoy the time to sit, rest, and listen at
the Master’s feet.
Life feels busy with many changes and often I get whipped up
into the frenzy of life and don’t take enough time to be still the presence of
my Jesus. When activities start to
control and “drive” me, I begin to lose focus on what is important and then I
become weary because I am so busy do, do, doing!
At the beginning of this school year, my mother-in-law,
Bonnie, moved in with us. Even though we
knew there would be change and challenges, we welcomed this wonderful loving
woman into our house. At the same time I
transitioned from working full time to part time so I could stay at home more
and be a companion for Bonnie.
This should have “slowed” me down, but it hasn’t much. Curt and I found that Bonnie needs more
support than we realize. Bonnie is also experiencing
big changes in her life and she is transitioning from being fully independent to learning to depend more on others for support. Helping her through this transition to give up some of her independence is another challenge for us. We realize it must be hard for her also and we want to honor her, as we support her in this changing season of her life.
We are also experience changes which are not connected with my mother-in-law moving in, and through this process of multiple changes, I find I have become “weary”. Part of this weariness has been trying to hold on to things that the Lord wants me to let go of and stop trying so hard to make everything work out the way I think it should.
I am learning to let go of activities, expectations, my
selfish desires, etc.… and instead listening more to my Savior, and allowing
the Holy Spirit to focus my thoughts and activities in a way that is more in
step with His plan for this season of my life.
I am grateful for a God, who is so patient and gentle with me. He is the Good Father that calls me back to himself.
He allows me to make mistakes, to fail, and then to come running back to his
arms for loving comfort and instruction.
When I start to stray off the path, He is there to gently but firmly
redirect me onto the path that he has for me.
God’s heart for all his children is to lead them on the path
that is the most fulfilling for them but because we are like sheep, we tend to get side tracked and go astray, thinking something else will
satisfy us. In reality it only makes us weary. Thankfully, Jesus the Good
Shepherd is close by and when we are worn-out, he picks us up and sets us back on the right path again.
Dear friends, if you feel weary on this journey today, take
time to rest in His presence, to tune your heart to listen for his instruction
and hear a word from the Lord that sustains you.
(Shepherd of our souls, Help us to hear your voice clearer. Lord, when we start to wander or we trip, please gently pick us up, give us rest in your arms and then place us back on your path again. Jesus, you are are our Good Shepherd, may our ears be listening for your voice in the midst of the busyness. We rest in you today and trust you to guide us along the way. Amen)
