Rest For My Soul

 God-sized Dream = A desire in your heart for more of what God has for you.

This week has been hard, and it has been easy.  How can that be?  How can hard and easy coexist, total opposites, yet juxtaposed together?   There is only one way that makes sense to me;  and I know it works, because I am experiencing it now.  

It is called rest, which is defined as freedom from activity, as well as experiencing peace of mind or spirit.  What an appropriate antonym for the opposing forces of an anxious mind with thoughts whirling or ping-ponging back and forth.  Even though my body does not often get the sublime rest of a good night's sleep because of frequent insomnia, or for lack of going into a deep sleep, I do not have to continually experience the unrest caused by the painful, confusing events of life.  I can still find calm for my mind and have peace in my spirit.

Rest For My Soul

Heart cries,

Emotions too deep to speak aloud,

Threaten to drown me -- to break me down.

Stunned with what I knew was coming,

It smacks me in my gut.

Momentarily, I lose control -- I sob; 

 And yet, I pray,

Crying out in all my pain.
Then,
Before the pillow dries, I hear,

Rest in me, rest in me, my dear.  1

Giving to God my heavy load of grief and anguish,

The light that keeps my soul is not extinguished.

His Holy Spirit comforts me with memories dear, 
Of God's word made clear.  
And in my mind I hear
His words of truth and comfort I keep near.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension,
 will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 2

These words of scripture are a gift to you and me, 
Indeed, a promise fulfilled for all who will believe.

Usually, I post my God-sized dream post on Tuesday;  but, as we all know, things happen we don't account for.  And for many this week, it has been a week of unusual occurrences and bad news.  As a nation in the USA, we have seen one of our oldest cities attacked on a day that was to be a fun, joy-filled day of celebration.  Bombs went off at the finishing line of the Boston Marathon.  3 people died -- 1 of them an 8 year old child.  The mother of the little boy that died has a brain injury and his sister lost a leg.  More than 140 people were injured, and their lives will never be the same.

Every day in this sin-filled world, people struggle with hunger, with disease, with loss, with fear, and with grief.  Yet God tells us to take everything to Him in prayer.  Moreover, God is not just talking about the things we think of as larger than life events.  When God's word says, everything, that includes what we may see as insignificant compared to what happened on Monday in Boston.  Nothing in our lives is insignificant to God:  He knows how many hairs are on our heads.  He wants to hear from us daily about all our concerns.

I will be eternally grateful that God can fill our hearts and souls with peace that is beyond comprehension. The hymn writer Horatio Spafford, who already had losses that would topple many men, wrote this hymn after yet another enormous loss -- the lives of  his four daughters, while they were crossing the Atlantic with their mother.

It Is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain:
It is well, (it is well),
With my soul, (with my soul)
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

1. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28, KJV).
2.  Philippians 4: 6-7, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission."  

 This is a God-sized dream post.  Every Tuesday, Holley Gerth hosts a place where we share what we have written about following God in our God-sized dreams with others that have been writing about the same thing.  Every week, we have an assignment.  Sharing with these ladies has been a little bit like a Bible Study and very like a fellowship.  One thing for sure, it has been a place to find encouragement and accountability with other Christians on following the Lord's plan for my life.