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The alarm rang this morning and it was just entirely too early. It felt so very dark. And... so very cold. Every fiber in my body wanted to stay in my warm and cozy bed... and stay in my warm and cozy sleep, too!
I didn't want to get up.
I just plain did. not. want. to! Do you ever feel this way?
With a quick, whispered plea-prayer for help, a strength from within pulled and tugged me out of bed. One foot in front of the other.
These are the moments I am so grateful for the day-in-and-day-out quiet times in God's Word. Each day, I journey downstairs in the early morning and I eat a meal from Scripture. In prayer, I drink from my Father's well of grace, love and goodness. He feeds me on His Truth--on Himself. These daily meals are the drink, food and spiritual calories that my heavy feet are desperately reliant upon when the truly hard mornings and hard days come.
But, today's early morning darkness and chill didn't dissipate with my quiet time. It didn't dissipate with my forced-exercise (me forcing me, for clarity sake!). I. dont. want. to! was all that really bounced around in my soul. Like a child having a tantrum, my body and my heart fought each morning's step... each routine.
It didn't dissipate when the sun finally did rise and my children bounded down with joyful greeting. It still lingered when we began to read God's word together as a family. I still wanted to go back to bed.
But the routine was there and the Truth was not far behind. Truth began to speak tenderly into my heart in these moments.
Truth pushed me out of bed and followed me downstairs. Truth sat with me, in tender patience, as I wandered aimlessly about in my "time-with-God". Truth followed me into the kitchen this morning and then into the bathroom. In fact, Truth from last week's God-meal flooded into my mind as I threw myself into the shower... "My soul finds rest in God alone. ...Find rest, O my soul!" (Psalm 62)
Like a quiet voice, these words wafted across my mind. Find rest, O my soul.
It was in that moment something seemed to alter and awaken. In that moment the Truth seemed to find a home in my hungry heart. Ah... my soul seemed to say... ah! Yes!
My soul needs rest. Rest.
In God alone.
Find rest, O my soul, in to God alone. Find rest, Stephanie, in God alone.
These words, God's Truth, filled me and moved me and washed over me as the water rinsed my shampooed hair. His Truth had followed me all morning long and He was, indeed, all the rest I needed today.
For today, I am not done-in by the darkness and the cold.
"Surely Your goodness and Your mercy will follow me all the days of my life!" (Psalm 23)