Christine James

Beloved,

When we are generous of spirit, opening our hearts to others; God can move through us to heal the world. It is not a mistake that you are here. You are a part of God’s plan to change the world.

 “I am so tired” is a statement that used to flow like a gushing stream off my tongue.  The statement had become a mantra for me. It had become a habit. My routine consisted of me plopping down on the sofa, letting out a deep yawn saying; “Lord have mercy, I am so tired”. I think it became my way of saying to the world, “don’t ask anything else of me. I have nothing left to give.” On one such occasion my husband said, “You know you really say that a lot”. My first, and somewhat defensive thought was, “that’s because I AM TIRED”! But instead, this time I took some time to ponder what he said. Why was I allowing that phrase to become a default statement in my daily existence? What was I prioritizing that made me put proper rest on the back burner, making it last on my list of priorities?

 Our energies are often spent trying to achieve all the things that we are responsible for in the many roles we play. We start out each day with a very unrealistic “To Do” list; (written or in our heads), that drive the activities of our day. The problem, however is that the list rarely covers all of the intangibles that exist in a woman’s life. Other people’s schedules, traffic, illness, etc., don’t always line up in an orderly fashion with our lists. Discouragement sets in which makes us even more exhausted.

I love the way the message version of Matthew 11:28 says, “Get away with me and you will recover your life.” Sometimes we get so bogged down with doing that we forget to “be”. Our intended lives just seem to slip away, leaving us feeling drained and uncertain of our purpose. In the past, when this happened to me, I would blame circumstances and other people until I realized that it was not the external circumstances, but rather my failure to come aside and rest.

I write this blog out of the overflow of my own desperation for God’s intervention in my daily life. As he bids me come, I now run to him and find “real rest”.  My prayer is that you would do the same. The words I write have been crafted to encourage you to seek the Lord in a very personal way. May you be refreshed by his living water and live the abundant life that results in changed lives for all you encounter.

Enjoy the journey,

Christine