It’s natural for cats (and babies) to yield to rest at every given opportunity. They swiftly switch off from the world for a while, whenever they feel like it. But it is not always so easy for the rest of us.
I sense God urging this weary woman to desist from her online labours and rest a while. I’ve already had to pull back from so much, including writing as often as I want to.
Yet I sense a sliver of resistance within, even though I am desperate for rest.
The struggles are manifold for a person with M.E who has to carefully consider the use of all (or any) available energy, engage mindfully, pace and rest regularly on a daily basis. To be asked to do so for weeks at a time seems daunting.
Because rest so often feels like a giving in to insignificance rather than a gentle yielding to necessity.
This feels especially true for writers, who are meant to develop and maintain an online presence, retain their visibility.
Questions arise when we have to withdraw for a while: Who am I if I am not present to the world? How can taking time out be such a blessing to me?
And that’s when God steps in with His thoughts to help still our anxious ones…
Prayer Whisper: ‘Yield to rest’
“In rest and repentance lies your strength. In surrender to Me you find your true significance.
Time may be of the essence, but do you not know that I stand beyond its confines?
Have you not considered how I also wrote eternity into your heart so that you would seek Me with an open mind and embrace My love to infinity?
When you resist rest, you resist opportunity to witness My deeds and to hear from Me in the quiet spaces of your day.
Unless you can release the drive and desire to succeed or to be seen into My hands, you will wear yourself out in circles of comparison and slip into ditches of discouragement.
Come, My child. Come and rest those ambitions, dreams, hopes and plans as you yield them to Me. I am the One who will exalt you in due time when you humble yourself before Me.
It is My greatest desire for you to walk in daily dependence on Me. Watch and see what the Lord will do. No good thing will I withhold from those who love Me and walk according to My precepts.
Come closer. Relax your hold on life and allow Me to carry you as I also keep all things safe. Here, in My Presence, you will find deeper rest and peace than ever before. A peace only I can give you; peace which no-one can take away.
Trust that all your cares and concerns are safe in My capable hands. I know what you can bear and what is too heavy for you to carry.
Seek My face at intervals throughout your day. I made you and I will sustain you.”
Such words bring me up short. They also allow me to exhale, breathe easy again.
This is a season for slowing down, a time to rest, recoup, recover, become restored. You may find yourself in a similar situation.
We can relax better into a season of rest when we realise how much God looks forward to us spending quality time with Him.
He longs to infuse fresh energy into weary bodies, instil new inspiration into dulled minds. God also requires our willing submission when His Spirit urges us to draw aside for a while, take a break with Him.
I need more rest, more of God’s best for me in every way, and I feel ready to relinquish my hold on other things to make it possible. Will you join me?
We can meet up here again (and over at Words of Joy) and see what God has worked in us when we’ve become less concerned about our own accomplishments, or the lack thereof.
Forgive me for running way over time for my last #FMF and #letusgrow post for a while. The prompt, ‘rest’ was a beacon to my brain.
Here’s a tiny helping of haiku to set us up for more restful days ahead…
Poetry Joy 
“…rest til whole.” May you rest, Joy, in this season of needful quiet and gentle rest, in the loving arms of our Lord. Interesting that a word at #FMF provoked the outcome that God is calling you to right now. Yes, you probably knew that this was needed, yet making yourself rest is not the way we do things in this busy world.
I pray for you and know God is with you in the rest, in the quiet, in the peaceful. You are loved by many and by me. You will be prayed for.
Caring through Christ, ~ linda
Linda, this is so true: “making yourself rest is not the way we do things in this busy world.” Our Shepherd leads us to the still, quiet waters so that He can restore our soul. He makes us lie down in refreshing green pastures because we tend to want to keep on keeping on without refuelling. But when God urges us repeatedly and strongly, then it would be foolishness indeed to resist the call to rest.
I smiled when I saw the #FMF prompt and knew it was another sign saying “listen to this”, as well as an opportunity for God to remind me of the need to obey! Going public with it is a way for me to follow through rather than duck out of yielding.
You bring a sense of peace and add a wonderful contribution of wisdom to the conversations here and at ‘Words of Joy’. I love you, too, dear friend, and have missed being such a regular reader of your own inspiring words. Thank you for your prayers. They mean a lot to me. As a woman always “Caring through Christ” you bring His fragrance with you as you visit other blogs. Blessings and hugs! xo ❤
Thank you for your encouragement to rest, Joy. I know I need to take more time for it. I don’t know why I resist, because taking the time to rest always makes me feel better. I pray that you will be able to get the rest you need and feel refreshed. Thank your for sharing your haiku. It’s a form of poetry I also like to write. 🙂 Many blessings to you, dear Joy! xo
Gayl, it sounds as if you are also receiving some inner urges from the Lord as He calls you to rest. I can definitely relate to the resisting part! We so often hate the thought of being ‘invisible’ despite knowing deep inside that withdrawing from good things can be necessary at times in order to receive God’s best. It’s good to hear you’re a fellow haiku lover! I write quite a few and had considered putting them in a book one day, but it would make a slim volume because they are so small. Many blessings to you, too, dear friend! xo
Beautifully stated, Joy. Bravo!
My take on rest is defined in a poem whose origin is unknown; it certainly predates the American Civil War.
I am sore wounded, but am not slain.
I will lay me down to bleed awhile,
and then I’ll rise to fight with you again.
#2 at FMF this week, and also with you on Let Us Walk Worthy.
http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2016/06/your-dying-spouse-172-not-without-fight.html
I love the poem, Andrew. Thanks for sharing it with me! I’m not visiting many blogs, nor reading and commenting as often as I used to, but i will try to visit yours as soon as possible. These are withdrawing days for me where being online is becoming increasingly rare. Blessed to see you here, my friend! x
You have a new site! How did I miss that? I loved these words you shared: “When you resist rest, you resist opportunity to witness My deeds and to hear from Me in the quiet spaces of your day.” We all need rest and the ability to still our hearts and quiet our thoughts. How often He speaks in whispers! I need to be better at this and to find a specific time during the day to be quiet. Thank you for sharing this! ((Hugs))
Hi Carrie, I thought you’d been here before, but maybe I was wrong. This site is actually over 2 years old. I set it up to focus on and feature my poetry at a time when I wanted to restrict myself to longer, more reflective posts on ‘Words of Joy’. Now I’m in a quandary wondering whether to keep it going or not. It’s hard finding enough energy and inspiration to write for two sites and my main blog has always been ‘Words of Joy’, first on Blogger and now self-hosted with WordPress. Your thoughts on this dilemma would be welcome!
Those God-whispers are not always easy to hear, are they? We need to tune into His voice and tune out the world’s noise to make it possible. Once we do, we begin to discern more than before. I often find that God speaks to me most in the everyday, with subtle shades and small revelations of His gracious presence. May you be enabled to find the time to listen and rest which your soul craves. It will be worth any sacrifice you make. Blessings and hugs! xo