A place of quiet rest is not where I've been lately! After successive weekends filled with various activities, the birth of a new granddaughter, overnight guests (in our unofficial B & B!), the freezing of fresh peaches and vegetables, and the company of two very active toddlers for nine days in two weeks, I hit my wall this morning. I couldn't seem to get on top of things the past two days and my blood pressure was high! After remembering all that has been going on, I understand why.
The most disturbing thing was the feeling of being haunted by some phantom fears...nothing definable, just vague feelings of uneasiness.
Just yesterday we were talking with a young couple who were staying in our guest house for the weekend, and they were saying how hard they had been working and how overcome with "busy-ness" they were. Being here gave them the chance to have a period of rest and reflection, and they echoed the same thing everybody says about our property: there is such a feeing of peace here. I told them about Nancy Leigh DeMoss's book, A Place of Quiet Rest, how inspirational it is to me and how I though we'd make a habit of giving a copy to everyone who spends the night here. They wholeheartedly agreed their biggest need was to be still and let God's peace surround them.
This morning I was in our bedroom, praying for our son Jed who was driving home today to have his beloved German Shorthair dog put to sleep. I was also thinking of our second oldest son, who turned 39 today, and how we wanted to be with him, but felt we needed to be here for Jed's sake. Anyway, in the process of it all, I had the desire to hold up my arms and ask Jesus to take and comfort me. I just felt tired and emotionally drained. I felt that something was missing. Then it came to me: I needed the place of quiet rest.
The remainder of today has been just that. It has been filled with emotion, but also comforting and convicting. We humans simply can't sustain ourselves without Divine help. What do people do who don't have a relationship with the Savior, the God of all comfor
Almost everybody I know is familiar with Psalm 23. We hear the phrase "He restorers my soul" quoted in all kinds of situations. What does this really mean? To quote Nancy DeMoss: "I'm convinced that one of the major reasons we can't handle the demands of day-today living is that our spirits are weary. Our souls need to be restored...The restoration of our souls is a ministry of our Great Shepherd...If I don't take time to get my spiritual tank refilled, I soon find myself 'running on fumes.' Before long the least little demand is more than I can handle, and I find myself reacting to even minor annoyances and interruptions out of frustration and irritation."
This describes my condition the past three days. Now I know what was missing, and I'm recommitted to the practice of spending time each day in God's presence. Oh no, it's not easy, especially with little ones demanding time and attention. This week reminded me how challenging it is for a mom to find even ten minutes of quiet, but how restorative it is. I pray for mothers to find the still waters and green pastures. Just as I wanted to take our adult son in my arms and comfort him through this time of sadness, so I want the Holy Spirit to engulf me and impart peace and comfort and rest. I have been reminded that He is so willing to do just that.
