Thursday 29 January 2015

Finding His Breath in Rest

It's beautiful... Listen.... To that Sound.
It's the sound of God. For me the sound of God is the sound of absolute still silence when I can just hear Him breathing. Breathing through the birds outside, the leg - clapping green things that roam out of sight on the leaves. The sound of His breath in the air and its just Love - filled silence.
I confess in years gone by I never took the time or made the space for this place. I filled it with words of prayer, with Godly deeds but I never took what Bonnie calls White Space .

I never needed a book to teach me about this place, because no book can teach me that, books and authors, spiritual friends and teachers can entrust me with that message but people could never give it to me. My journey to rest, started in 2012 with a breakdown and illness. And then recovery and the greater sense of rest and space then ever before. I remember sitting with a wonderful friend over a cup of tea and describing my journey of breakdown with her. She turned to me and said "you can talk about it with authority and you can walk in it with authroity because you have lived through it." I loved what she said, it was eye opening. Rest and peace. 

Many times I have had to learn how to rest, and I believe rest in its raw natural God breathed state looks different for everyone but there are some unique qualities about it that are the same. For me, returning to a place of wonder, the kind of wonder I enjoyed as a child, has helped me rest. Also, I have had amazing friends to encourage along the way. Together, we have learned abour rest and the restoration of God's healing within. It's not something we can teach, its something we have to learn with Yeshua, step by step. There have been scriptures that helped me along the way and that continue to help me... Here are two of them....

Rest is something amazing, when we can just sit in God and let His breath be heard all around us. It's like joining a friend on top of a water tower and watching the sun set and just enjoying the togetherness. I am also learning that rest comes from the sense of love. We can rest because we know we are loved, but to feel loved we have to open ourselves up to being Loved by the One who made us. God speaks your love language - and He wants to love you. Love opens the heart to rest. Here's another scripture that encouraged me and still does daily...

The other thing God is teaching me is that rest and work are not opposites, in fact they were created to be one. Sometimes we think resting is the absence of working but it's not. Resting is the absence of striving. Striving involves fear, pushing through anxiety to get done or to get over something. Bringing Gods rest in to something makes that thing enjoyable, it makes it in a way, sanctified. Like if I am writing a book fro example, in the process God does not want me to rush through it just to get down amidst sleepless nights, pills and anxiety. Rather, He wants me to enjoy it, to get lost in it, to have that sense of holy wonder about it, to experience it with Him and to feel His breath upon my skin as I write each line. This is rest. 
I am still learning, but I have begun. My journey is unique and Gods way of getting you to rest will be different from the way He does it with me, dont compare your journey to someones elses, your journey is unique because you are uniquely designed. 

May God bless you and keep you as your seek to know Him more in the blessed sanctity of rest... Sharing with Playdates!
 
 Beloved Brews Linkup

6 comments:

  1. I am just 'down the block' from you on Beloved Brews and was touched by your words on rest. It is what He is speaking to my heart about too and I loved these words '. We can rest because we know we are loved, but to feel loved we have to open ourselves up to being Loved by the One who made us.' So glad there is room for us all and His arms are big and wide enough to gather us all in close to Himself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jeannie (big waves at my down the block neighbor!!:)) I praise God that you were touched by these words, I find that my blog has morphed in to a personal journal lately and I need these words too. Yes His arms are big enough, may the Weight of His Love enwrap you today!! Much lv!

      Delete
  2. Hi, my name is Jan, and I am coming from the #Beloved Brews group. I really enjoyed reading this post. A couple of things really stuck out for me. I like this statement:
    "It's not something we can teach, its something we have to learn with Yeshua, step by step. There have been scriptures that helped me along the way and that continue to help me... Here are two of them...."

    This is so true. I tend to look to people-albeit God's people, but none-the-less...people for instruction, and to hear about their walk with God. But my true teacher is Yeshua. He is my creator. He lives in me, and He will instruct me. Thanks for this great reminder to keep my eyes and ears on His teaching, and not godly people.

    The other paragraph that spoke to me was :
    "The other thing God is teaching me is that rest and work are not opposites, in fact they were created to be one. Sometimes we think resting is the absence of working but it's not. Resting is the absence of striving. Striving involves fear, pushing through anxiety to get done or to get over something. Bringing Gods rest in to something makes that thing enjoyable, it makes it in a way, sanctified. Like if I am writing a book fro example, in the process God does not want me to rush through it just to get down amidst sleepless nights, pills and anxiety. Rather, He wants me to enjoy it, to get lost in it, to have that sense of holy wonder about it, to experience it with Him and to feel His breath upon my skin as I write each line. This is rest. "

    WOW...this is really good. I agree with you. about enjoying the whole process of walking through each and every circumstance with God. Not trying to rush through the "work" in order to "rest"...but to "rest" in the "work" He has given me to do. I love how you talk about His breath. The holy wonder. Thank you for writing these words for us here at #Beloved Brews to read.

    I am taking these powerful words with today, and through out the rest of my week.
    God's richest blessings on you as you continue your journey of "resting in Him".
    Jan McCorkle
    http://pearcreekcottage.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Jan - your words have really blessed me here and I am hunbled and honoured, amazed and grateful that God blessed you with these words. I pray that His Love and that His rest and work will come in to alignment for you today and the rest of the year ahead. May you experience a release of his blessings and His bounty, His soft Love and gentle Touch on your soul. Thank you for visiting and encouraging me today!

      Delete
  3. I like this idea: "resting is the absence of striving" not the opposite of work. I'll be thinking about that concept this weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Constance thank you and bless you. This reality of resting without striving has really been something I have failed in the passed few weeks as I had pressing deadlines and just could not find the rest. Thankfully God has really been speaking it to me again and I am learning anew. May God bless us as we seek His rest. Have a wonderful weekend :)

      Delete