Refreshed

Monday morning and I’m feeling refreshed. I spent a lot of time with the Lord in prayer and reading His Word this weekend. Receiving His comfort. I felt God’s tender care. He spoke to me in my heart—said He knew I was tired. He didn’t explain everything to me, and I didn’t need that anyway. What I did need was His assurance that all was okay even though it didn’t feel okay.

He did that. You might say God “kissed my heart.”

I spent a lot of time resting. Didn’t do any work. I made my bed, did a few dishes, but that’s all. I finished one novel and started another. Went to a movie yesterday. Took a nice walk last evening, rode my bike through the neighborhood on Saturday. Throughout the weekend, dear friends reminded me they were praying for me. One dear friend called from across county Friday night, though she was leaving on a mission trip early the next morning and still had much to do. We hadn’t talked for a couple of months and she wanted to touch base before she left. Out of all the days for her to call me! I told her how much it meant. A gift from my friend, a gift from God.

I’m learning a whole new level of trust. It’s not like it started yesterday, it’s just that it keeps going deeper and deeper. I’m learning to simply believe God. Take all He says at face value. I thought I was doing that before. And I was in some ways. But there’s always more. Being a Christian is about having a relationship with Jesus Christ, not a “religion.” And what dear relationship doesn’t grow sweeter and sweeter as the days and years go by? That’s what’s happening now. Just like a hard trial shared between husband and wife, or close friends can bind the two together, so these trials are causing me to draw closer to Christ. That’s just the way it works.

This weekend God spent a lot of time encouraging me in a lot of different ways. Circumstances haven’t changed but I have. And I have reason to suspect even my circumstances may change soon, but now it doesn’t matter as much. When I really get a glimpse that the God of the Universe loves me just because He does and there’s nothing I can do to change that, it sure makes me a little more secure.

Thinking about taking God at face value, I’ll close with this ridiculously simple illustration that God has gotten quite a lot of mileage out of lately:

A friend across town shoots me a quick email a couple of weeks ago mid-morning.

“Lunch?” (She’s a woman of few words sometimes).

“Sure,” I write back. “What time and where?”

“Olive Garden. 11:30.”

“Okay, see you there.”

I arrive at 11:30 and she’s seated sipping her coke. I expected her to be there. She said she would be. And for some reason if she didn’t show up, I wouldn’t be angry. I’d be concerned. I trust her because she has a proven track record that she’s a woman of her word.

So is God. I want to believe God the same way. About all things. Yes, it’s a process. And it takes some time. But I’m discovering something. The higher the stakes, the greater the potential for victory.

Honestly, folks, I don’t know how God does this. But somehow, some way, my heart is strengthened going into this week. All I can say is the comfort of Jesus Christ is a very real thing. Trust me.

Finally, to the one who posted a comment on Friday—you sound like you’re facing some pretty heavy trials right now. Please feel free to email me privately. I’ll love to hear from you.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
(Isaiah 41:29-31)