Life stays too busy, but what else is new? Truly what makes it busy is sometimes just things to keep me busy so I don't have to deal with other "stuff" and life avoiding.
Our mom had eye surgery yesterday. I went last night to help until my sister could get there. She is much better with medical stuff than I am. I can crunch numbers like nobody's business and help with general "care", but get me near needles and medical mumbo jumbo? EEK! We all have our talents and areas of gifts. :)
After surgery, mom needed more assistance than normal doing everyday things she can normally do pretty well on her own. One eye was covered up. She was supposed to lay on her back as much as possible. This is difficult enough as it is. Life is challenging enough without extra challenges! Understandably, she felt unsteady as she made her way through the day.
Last night, I found myself saying numerous times, "you're OK". As a parent, I have said this to our kids many times. I have personally dealt with anxiety and had close family members that do too. I've been told this many times too. I remember not always feeling OK even though I was being reassured I should feel OK.
I thought I was being reassuring. Later though, I got to thinking it was also kind of condescending.
She didn't FEEL OK. I've been telling, not listening. I didn't take that extra few seconds to find out WHY she/our kids/other people/I might not actually feel OK.
Looking back, I think I meant to say "Trust me. I know you can't see right now. You don't trust yourself. Trust me. I will be your eyes. I will help get you to where you need to go."
It is extremely difficult to be this vulnerable. We are sometimes. We don't want to ADMIT it though! Even if others can see why we might need some reassurance and assistance.
Looking at the bigger picture? I think God has been whispering this to my soul lately. I haven't been doing the best at listening. I find things to reassure myself I'm OK. God tells me I don't need to FEEL OK. I need to TRUST Him!
How about you? Feeling a little less than OK? TRUST.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Psalm 9:10
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Psalm 62:8
Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Showing posts with label Psalm 62. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 62. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Friday, May 27, 2011
Hurting Hearts
Oh, I so just want to turn off the TV, radio and internet and hide for awhile. The last few days have seemed overwhelming with bad weather, rising gas prices and depression rears it's ugly head. It seems like it would be easier to just go back to bed....and stay there for awhile. And the thing is? In the whole scheme of life, my overwhelmed feeling(s) and problems for the most part are fixable. My house hasn't blown away, I haven't lost someone close to me, I have a bed to crawl back into.
Honestly, that is why I have stopped watching scary movies. Real life is scary enough! But Hollywood keeps cranking them out so someone must be watching them. Video games keep looking more and more realistic. The blood splatters in the war ones? Too lifelike for my liking....even if it is "zombies". I purposely have to limit my exposure to bad news or I get sucked in and down. With most of the disasters, I have not watched more than a few minutes. I cannot watch someone else be sad without feeling their pain too deeply. I cry just from seeing someone else cry.
I am glad that there are people who can keep it in perspective. I admire emergency responders, nurses, drs, news reporters, etc. Not that they don't show or have feelings. I admire that they can do a job where they deal with this stuff everyday. I pray that they have people surrounding them that can help them decompress at the end of the day.
In a world of ever expanding social networks, I fear that we are losing our ability to see others hurting hearts. Or make ourselves too busy to deal with our own. We Facebook instead of getting together face to face. Let's be honest, a ((((you)))) cyberhug cannot beat the real thing of feeling another person's arms around you. In the effort to get a news story, reporters urge people to share their grief. They tread a fine line between actually helping and just exploiting someone's pain. And we watch it. And we shake our heads in sorrow. And maybe we say a prayer or two or three.
I think one of the many things I find amazing about God is that He doesn't compare our hurts. He doesn't tell us to suck it up because things that are bothering us or hurting our hearts are less than what someone else is going through. He offers to carry those burdens. ALL of them. Big or small. Then the issue becomes us. Are we willing to let them go....and not take them back? God sees the pain - even the pain we hide from others and sometimes ourselves. He wants to heal our hurts so we can see and help others with theirs.
A Call to Persevere in Faith
Honestly, that is why I have stopped watching scary movies. Real life is scary enough! But Hollywood keeps cranking them out so someone must be watching them. Video games keep looking more and more realistic. The blood splatters in the war ones? Too lifelike for my liking....even if it is "zombies". I purposely have to limit my exposure to bad news or I get sucked in and down. With most of the disasters, I have not watched more than a few minutes. I cannot watch someone else be sad without feeling their pain too deeply. I cry just from seeing someone else cry.
I am glad that there are people who can keep it in perspective. I admire emergency responders, nurses, drs, news reporters, etc. Not that they don't show or have feelings. I admire that they can do a job where they deal with this stuff everyday. I pray that they have people surrounding them that can help them decompress at the end of the day.
In a world of ever expanding social networks, I fear that we are losing our ability to see others hurting hearts. Or make ourselves too busy to deal with our own. We Facebook instead of getting together face to face. Let's be honest, a ((((you)))) cyberhug cannot beat the real thing of feeling another person's arms around you. In the effort to get a news story, reporters urge people to share their grief. They tread a fine line between actually helping and just exploiting someone's pain. And we watch it. And we shake our heads in sorrow. And maybe we say a prayer or two or three.
I think one of the many things I find amazing about God is that He doesn't compare our hurts. He doesn't tell us to suck it up because things that are bothering us or hurting our hearts are less than what someone else is going through. He offers to carry those burdens. ALL of them. Big or small. Then the issue becomes us. Are we willing to let them go....and not take them back? God sees the pain - even the pain we hide from others and sometimes ourselves. He wants to heal our hurts so we can see and help others with theirs.
Psalm 62:7-8 (NIV) My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 73:25-26 (NIV) Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
A Call to Persevere in Faith
Hebrews 10:19-25 (NIV) Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
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