Be Still, Child of God...

Make Me your Refuge by pouring out your heart to Me, trusting in Me at all times. ~ Psalm 62:8 (paraphrased by Sarah Young, Jesus Calling)

Be Still and Know by Steven Curtis Chapman

Be still and know that He is God Be still and know He is our Father Come rest your head upon His breast Listen to the rhythm of His unfailing heart of love Beating for His little ones Calling each of us to come Be still Be still

Disfunction.

If someone tells me they have no disfunction in their family, I would most likely think they are either not normal or unaware of reality.

Some might think I have my act all together since I write about such things as God, seeking, scripture, spiritual journeys...

I write because I read scripture and I wonder... I write because it helps me think and reflect. I write because I don't have my head screwed on all the time!

Disfunction. I love my family intensely yet I know there is often stress when we are all together.  Add into our disfunction the death of a mother/grandmother...

This morning I got up at 4:15 so I could make coffee and see Daughter #2 before she headed for the airport. Turning on the lights, getting the coffee pot out (Yes, I prepare "perked" coffee in a nearly 40 yr old Corning Ware percolator!), putting the liner in and then measuring the coffee....all mindless tasks...I realized in my "mindlessness", my mind was singing Be Still and Know That I Am God over and over again to my heart.  Hearing the song, I stopped what I was doing.

be still.....

I stopped and reflected on the lyrics.

I stopped and thought, "My head seems to be watching over me this morning, giving my heart a familiar tune that offers words of truth for me to hold."

I thought, "Hummm, I wonder why?"

I thought, "San, are you nuts! You've been in tears, you have felt anxious and lonely. Be still and know...that is exactly what you are needing to hold right now in your crazy heart!"

This morning, as I sipped on my flavored coffee in my once again quiet house, I read from Sarah Young's devotional, Jesus Calling. Today's message is based on Psalm 55:17; Psalm 32:6; Psalm62:8:

Listen to the rhythm of
His unfailing heart of love.

I am the God of all time and all that is. Seek Me not only in morning quietness but consistently throughout the day. Do not lett unexpected problems distract you from My Presence. Instead, talk with Me about everything, and watch confidently to see what I will do. 

Adversity need not interrupt your communion with Me. When things go "wrong," you tend to react as if you're being punished. Instead of this negative response, try to view difficulties as blessings in disguise  Make Me your Refuge by pouring out your heart to Me, trusting in Me at all times.

 I don't feel as though I am being punished, but I feel sad because "I" think, "Everyone should get a long and be NICE!!!"

But my reality is different and one truth I do my best to remember is, "When I argue with reality, I lose, but only 100 percent of the time." ~ Byron Katie

I so appreciate the wisdom and insight of Byron Katie who also says:

"I am a lover of what is, not because I'm a spiritual person, but because it hurts when I argue with reality. We can know that reality is good just as it is, because when we argue with it, we experience tension and frustration. We don't feel natural or balanced. When we stop opposing reality, action becomes simple, fluid, kind and fearless."

not bored...but sad and frustrated

As an INFJ I can easily "imagine" how life "should" be and then feel tired, frustrated, hurt, tense...when life is different than what I had imagined. When I argue with what is.

So! This morning I am reminded to be still and know... I am reminded that when I allow myself to argue with what is, I end up feeling lonely, hurt, and sad.  When I "choose" to sit in that black and smelly pot of loneliness and hurt, I feel distant from God BECAUSE I have allowed the dynamics around me to distract me from his presence within and around me. This morning through scripture, song, and devotions, I am reminded that I can pour out my heart to God in trust and recover wholeness and balance. I can even take a deep breath...and SMILE!

And when I smile...I am once again feeling more sane and ready to walk into this day as a much loved and unique and gifted child of God!

Thank you for all the love you send my way! Thank you for the blessings of friends who listen, truth from songs, devotions and scripture. Thank you for my wonderful yet dysfunctional family! May they each regain a sense of peace in the days to come as they adjust to the void left by my mother-in-law's passing. Lord, bless me as I do my best to journey toward wholeness and balance in your presence. AMEN.

Thank you, for reminders such as Francesca Battitelli's reminder within Beautiful, Beautiful ...mercy reaching to save me...making my life something so beautiful, beautiful...though its pouring down I see  you through the clouds shining on my face...


Many Blessings ~ Sandi