A Clean Space

I hate washing dishes.  I mean, there aren't many people who really like washing dishes, unless you are like my friend Olivia.  Olivia shared the apartment with me for almost two years.  She loves to clean, so much so we would all joke about it.  She also liked to wake up really early, so by the time I woke up and stumbled to the kitchen, the dishes were done, masterfully stacked like some magical tower in the drying rack.  I never knew which dish to take first to put away, with one false move sending the whole lot crashing down onto the counter.  But Olivia has since moved away.

In the States where hot water is constant, one can just wash dishes as they use them, although I never did.  I am one of those people who lets the dishes accumulate a small bit before washing the lot.  Here, we have to turn the hot water tank on just before we want the hot water, so we have to be more intentional about how we use that energy.  This suits me fine and gives me an excuse to leave the dishes for a couple days before the soapy attack.  I am only one person though so it isn't like I have loads to do anyway.

Sitting on the couch, the notion of getting up to do the dishes seems horrible, but my kitchen and living room are together so I can't avoid the mess.  I reluctantly give in, but in actuality, I find that it is in that process, standing with my back to the world,   I find space to really connect with God.  

It is just me in the house.  The water gushes and breaks the silence.  I start with the suds and pray out loud.  I get in rhythm of washing and the tunes come up from inside me, singing loudly from the heart as I stack the soapy dishes to the side.  Draining the sink and scrubbing the silverware piece by piece, I feel calm and pray softly, sometimes without words.  Then I turn on the hot water and I begin to pull each dish through its steamy flow.  I listen for His voice.  I wash the sink, wipe down the counters and the stove.  I breathe.  I have found rest in His presence.

Truth be told, the times I feel most connected with God are when I break away and go out into nature, when I am driving highway miles on wide stretches of road, and when I can tuck into a corner nook at a moody coffee shop.  These are my favorite things to do and God always meets me.  I guess I never realized how much I love my time with Him when I wash dishes too. 

Putting the Soul at Ease

Painting by Hiroko Sakai

Yesterday a couple of friends and I drove the few hours to Dublin to check out a car that I was considering purchasing.  I am not one to rush into decisions like this and a lot of prayer had gone into the whole process.  The night before, though, I caught myself panicking a bit.  Would I know if this was the right car or not?  Would I get suckered and have used God's money irresponsibly? If it was no good, would I have wasted both my and my friends' time and paid the costly petrol prices for nothing?  My emotions were all over the place and in the end I just had to pray, to ask God that He would do as He has done before, giving me that sense in my spirit of a definite yes or no.

Often, especially as Christians, our desire to do what is right becomes the stress that holds us back from doing anything.  We can easily begin to over-think things, like we are playing a game of chess and somehow have to figure in all the possibilities and ramifications of the each move, preventing us from actually moving. We get so lost in our own attempts to assses,

our emotions begin to dominate our choices 

and we either rush into something or retreat entirely.

Over the last few weeks I have talked about the REST God has been bringing to my body and the REST He calls us to spiritually, but what can lasso our emotions and bring them back into proper order, bring them into REST?

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

--Phillipians 4:6

When we become anxious we are letting our emotions dictate to us based on what we perceive with our own eyes.  One examination of the word used here reveals a sense of being tossed to and fro, an emotional unrest.  In this verse, we are again being called to REST, this time in our emotions.  As Christians we know we are supposed to pray and trust God, but when our emotions get the best of us, it is hard to really let go.  If we read the verse again however there is something more mentioned than just the anxiety and the prayers; there is thanksgiving.  When we give thanks we are not just glorifying God, but speaking to our own heart about His faithfulness.  When we are struggling to find hope for the big things, we begin to thank Him for the small things.  Somehow our faith builds and we get so caught up in His goodness that it is easier to do that which He called us to do, to TRUST Him.  We move so much into Him that our emotions are restored to a proper functioning order and we have peace, even if the situation still seems uncertain.

 Thankfulness brings about emotional REST.

We arrived safely in Dublin, meeting up with a friend from our sister church there with a background with auto mechanics.  Upon investigating the car, I just had this gut feeling it was a no, but I waited as my friends checked over the engine.  My friend noticed details that were questionable and then more evidence that the car had been in a major crash.  When the salesman asked why we weren't buying it, we simply said we didn't want a car that had been previously wrecked.  He asked my friend to show him, after which he got very rude calling us liars and asking us in not so polite words to leave.  During the whole instance I had total peace without even my emotions getting riled at the behavior, because I had already begun to thank God for answering my prayer for giving me that definite answer for which I had prayed.   I continued thanking Him for things like the bonding between my friends during the journey, for the gift of service from my friend in Dub and his teaching us key things to enable us to check engines ourselves.  In fact, by the end of the day, I had been thanking God to such a degree that I was so full of faith, 

                            I was experiencing peace 

about other bigger emotionally fueled issues that I will face in this coming year.  I may not have come home with a car, but I was at rest and it didn't even seem to matter where the day or petrol costs went.  I can trust God with these things.

Are you ready to find rest?  In those toughest, most emotional times, will you begin to thank Him?  If you cannot thank Him yet for specific things regarding the situation because of emotional wounds, can you at least thank Him for the little things?  Just thank Him, and begin to experience His REST.

Praying through Lent

We are a few weeks into Lent already.  Some people have set restrictions during this time to help them recognize the sacrifice that was made for us.  Others choose by themsleves something to give up, whether it be a bad behavior or just the daily cup of joe, for the same reason.  Looking through all my friends' Facebook statuses over the last few years, I have even seen some people actually pick up something new instead of dropping something in honor of the season.  These things are usually spiritually edifying things like daily Bible readings or acts of service for others.

Even now, mid-lenten season, I would challenge ye to consider doing both.  Sacrifice five minutes of your day and pick up prayer.  God loves it!  David sings in Psalm 141:2...

May my prayer be set before you like incense;
may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. 

I've written about 24-7 Prayer before, having attended the yearly gathering that brings folk from all over Europe together to pray for our continent and countries.  The account from last year's event is here.  For this Lent, the lads from 24-7 have put together Prayer Spaces, daily video podcasts for the 40 days of Lent.

Walk through the life of Jesus with daily inspiration from Pete Greig, Carla Harding, Etienne Piek and others.  From Ash Wednesday through Easter morning, you will be sure to enjoy these moments with God.  Let's pray together, shall we?

The podcast is free and is available through iTunes, Facebook and YouTube.  

Each video is also available at the 24-7 Prayer website.

In the Beginning...

When most people think of the word adventure, they think of things filled with action, exploration and excitement.  When those same people think of rest, they may think of still, sleepy things.  I would challenge them to consider that  

some of the best adventures 

                                                   happen in a place of rest.

I first came to Ireland on a holiday from Uganda.  I was in a place where I was desperate for two things, Christian fellowship and rest.  Because of a lot of the challenges I was facing with my work in Uganda, I was broken and raw.  I knew I needed some space to breathe, to pray and listen to what God would say.  Going to Ireland, even for a holiday, felt too frivolous.  When I finally decided to go to Ireland for the visit, it was because my own emotional welfare demanded it.  I had finally become desperate enough to obey God's call to rest.  That visit ended up being one of my greatest adventures.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,^[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  ²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
 ²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
    ²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
    ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.  
¹ Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
 ² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.       -- Genesis 1:27-2:3

We know God considers rest as in important part of life, even from the very beginning of creation.  We see Him model this at the end of all His labours.  However when we look at man's place in this passage, we can see something very interesting.   Man's first day was God's seventh.   
                                Man was born into rest.

I imagine Adam, entering into his existence with the breath of God, being awakened not as a baby, but as a man into a world filled with the creation of God.  God had said it was his to live in and to tend, to oversee.  Can you imagine exploring the world God had given, tasting the fruits and naming the creatures?  I wonder if he laughed with joy as he marveled.  This was adventure.

As one who finds so much peace by just being in nature, my visit to Ireland was an amazing exploration of God's creation.  I was everyday meeting new people.  God was speaking to me about His plans for me.  At first I struggled to accept them, actively rejecting the notion, but when I surrendered to the idea that this was where God was calling me, I became overcome with excitement.  There is nothing like a transcontinental move to get your adventure meter into the green.  Mostly though, I was finding adventure in the time alone I was having with God during this time of rest.  He was showing me things about myself - wounds that needed healing, gifts He wanted to develop in me, and faith He wanted to stretch.  
In my rest,  
             I found adventure.

Last week, I wrote about God's river, and finding rest in His current.  When we surrender like this, we can hear God so much more easily, but it goes beyond just that.  When we are totally dwelling in His rest, imagine what great adventure we may have!  Action, exploration, and excitement are pretty much guaranteed... 
Are you ready to dive in and let Him take you on an adventure in rest?

check out more on the topic of rest by joining our JAM Session at Bonnie's

The Rest of the Story

I started this story at the turn of the New Year when I began a four month detox/dietary program that would help bring healing to a major health concern.  I wrote about it here when I knew I was beginning a new story in TRUST.  In the process it has also became a story of REST.

I had been warned that the first month of this journey toward healing would be the most difficult, with symptoms getting worse before getting better.  In fact, this was the reason I planned to start at the New Year, after the busy holiday season.  I am blessed to be a part of a leadership team that not only allowed me to take time from many regular activities, but actually encouraged it.  REST, it seemed, was an absolute necessity.   At times I felt like I was somehow slacking.  I wanted to work through it, but my body had other plans.  No matter how much I thought I could will myself to be involved, my body refused and I was forced to give in to REST.

By February, I was already starting to feel alive again.  I was able to participate in more than I had in months and I knew God was working His healing in my body.  Since I was still not 100%, I had to pick and choose only the activities I felt God was calling me to do.  The process had given me permission to REST without guilt and simply follow God with the strength gained.

Often times, we can be so determined to serve that we sacrifice rest, running ourselves ragged in areas that we beg God to bless.  God however has a plan that He has already blessed, and being in Him is where He would rather have us. Lately in our prayer times at DCF, God has been speaking to us about the River of Life and  finding REST in His current.  When we follow in His flow, it won't matter what rocks may lie ahead.  We don't need to flail and we aren't being tossed around, rather we are being carried, moving in REST as it were.    

REST is a place where we have let go of that control 

and are letting God take us through His way.  

Bonnie over at Faith Barista said it well when she said,

"Rest comes when we are free to get lost in the doing 

because we trust that God is producing fruit in our being."

I have just begun the third month of my four month health program.  I am doing very well and am amazed at how far God has carried me in what seems to be a short amount of time.  In this time of REST, I have been forced to listen to my body without the distraction of my will, meaning I can more quickly tell when and how to REST.  I think it is like that God too.   The more time we spend in His REST, the more easily we can hear Him.  We are not so busy doing our own things, as noble as they may be, that they would distract or filter out the sound of His gentle whisper. He calls us to REST for a reason.  Let us not neglect it.  But let us find it in Him, the only place where true rest can be found (Psalm 62). 

Share it with a Sister

Most of my pre-digital days pictures are packed up at my mom's back in the States.  There are so many family pics that I love, but this is the only one I could find in digital form.  I high-jacked it from my sister's Facebook page.  It is a scanned photo of the two of us from almost 15 years ago.  I was in college and we were just goofing for the camera.  My sis (on the right) has a funny look because she is actually pulling me off the ground onto her back with that one arm.  It is something she has always done.  Instead of my usual laughing and tackling her back, I decided to give the camera a face.  It's not the best quality photo, but the memory makes me smile.  I'll admit, I had a little too much fun adding fun stuff like the crown and tiara at Picnik.

I wish you all could know my sister, but she doesn't blog so I don't know how you would ever meet unless I introduce you.  She is by far my favorite person in the world and I am overwhelmed with joy every time I realize how God gave her to ME to be my big sister.  As the younger in the pair, most of our childhood included me following her everywhere.  This was not always a joy for her, especially as she moved up into those independence-developing middle school years.  

Although we are almost two years apart in age, we were only one year apart in school, which often led to more awkward moments between friends and teachers that we shared.  Of course this often led to some pretty intense fights, but no matter what the difference (or decibel level from our screaming) we grew even tighter.  Even with all the miles between us in these last years, we have continued to grow closer and stronger.  God has worked amazing healing in both of us from some shared trials and I can't imagine my world without her.  She is intelligent and very funny :)  I love her more than a silly tribute like this can ever say.

So when I got this opportunity to share a new giveaway contest with ye from Angela Hunt called Share it with a Sister, I had to at least share a picture of my favorite seester with all of you.

The sharing doesn't stop there.  You can also enter this great contest to win Angela's newest book, The Fine Art of Insincerity.  I've given you details here.  You can send in a pic of your sisters, whether by blood or friendship to aehcontest@gmail.com .  Each week she'll take some of the submitted photos and inserting them into the Sisters video playing at http://www.angelahuntbooks.com .  

Enter as many times as you wish between March 1 and May 1, but only one entry per day, please.  If you don't have a photo handy, you may enter simply by sending an email to that address with "Contest Entry" in the subject line. 

The grand prize winner of the random drawing will receive a tote bag filled with Angela Hunt books for herself and ten copies of Insincerity for her book club, sisters or friends.  Five first place winners will receive an autographed copy of The Fine Art of Insincerity, which officially releases on May 3.

I would love to win, but also think it would be so cool if a winner came from my blog!  In the meantime, how about you share something about your sister, or a friend who has become a sister to you here in the comment section.  I would love to hear your stories!