Daring to be Restless

I need therapy.   I admit it.   Every day I am reminded that I cannot do life on my own.   I am not strong enough.   I have believed lies, been wounded in the battle for my soul, and encountered grief deeper than my ability to cope.   This realization has been heavy on my heart lately, as more and more things in life have gone wrong, as more and more battles have been to the death, threatening the lives of young hearts and lives with so much potential.   And it is in these moments that God has brought to remembrance a Scripture I’ve known for years, but never fully appreciated – Isaiah 9:6.   It says: “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor , Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.” I love that it begins by saying the government – the weight of responsibility, decision making and leadership – rests on His shoulders.   It’s not mine to carry

I’ve been reading Captivating again, I admit it.   This book, written by John and Stasi Eldredge has spoken to my heart over and over again about what it means to be a woman of God, to be lost in the thrill of God’s plan for me, to walk in the fullness of who He designed me to be, and to offer my gifts and myself to the world around me in ways that bring life and hope to those around me.   There’s a page near the end that is underlined and dog-eared and worn like so many pages in my Bible, because it speaks truth, speaks to my heart and encourages me for the journey.   It says (and guys reading this – don’t check out – there is truth for you here too): “As a woman who has been ransomed and redeemed, you can be strong and tender.   You speak to the world of God’s mercy, mystery, beauty, and his desire for intimate relationship.   You are inviting; you can risk being vulnerable, offering the weight of your life as well as your need for more , because you are safe in God’s love.  

I love the story of Eutychus in Acts 20.  I always have.  For the same reason I enjoy the story of Balaam’s donkey talking to him or the story of Elisha praying for bears to destroy the people who called picked on him for being bald.  It’s one of those comedic stories that make you scratch your head and thank God for His sense of humor.  In case you aren’t familiar with it, though, here’s the story, starting in verse 7 and ending in verse 12:       “On Sunday we all met together to eat the Lord’s Supper.  Paul talked to the group.  Because he was planning to leave the next day, he continued talking until midnight.  We were all together in a room upstairs, and there were many lights in the room.  There was a young man named Eutychus sitting in the window.  He fell to the ground from the third floor.  When the people went down and lifted him up, he was dead.  Paul went down to where Eutychus was, knelt down beside him, and put his arms around hi.  He said to the other believers,

Curiosity, according to the Webster’s 1828 dictionary, means, “A strong desire to see something novel, or to discover something unknown, either by research or inquiry; a desire to gratify the senses with a sight of what is new or unusual, or to gratify the mind with new discoveries; inquisitiveness … a nice experiment …”   And overall, the connotation is a positive one.   But is curiosity always a good thing? I’ve been reading in Exodus this week, and last night came across a verse in Exodus 9, talking about the plagues of Egypt.   Exodus 9:6-7 the ERV say, “The next morning all the farm animals in Egypt died, but none of the animals that belonged to the Israelites died.   Pharaoh sent people to see if any of the animals of Israel died.   Not one of them died .   But Pharaoh remained stubborn and did not let the people go. ”   Do you see?   Pharaoh sent people to check on the Israelites’ flocks because he was curious , because this was new, because it was a “nice experiment” to se

“Every morning, Lord, I lay my gifts before you and look to you for help.   And every morning you hear my prayers.” ~ Psalm 5:3, ERV It is the fifth day of January in a brand new year.   And this morning found me doing what I normally do in the morning – laying in bed, reading through the daily allotted Scriptures on my reading plan, trying to stay awake.   It was terribly normal.   And yet it didn’t remain normal.   Because today, in a translation I had never read it before, I stumbled across this verse – Psalm 5:3.   And something in me jumped, startled.   Did you hear the prayer in that verse, the passion, the intentionality and the desperation for God to move.   The psalmist writes, “Every morning, Lord, I lay my gifts before you and look to you for help …”   Everything I’ve been hearing about lately has been about identity, about knowing who God created you to be, about looking at the talents and the passions God has laid on your heart and growing them with discipline for the