Tag: rest

name the doubt & grab His hem

Karla Lees

I am more than a bit timid when it comes to asking God for something i want for myself.

In fact, I tend to ask for myself as a tag along, or add on at the end of praying for other people’s needs.

Which isn’t a healthy symptom at all.

You see, that likely means i am not submitting to the fullness of what God has for me.

By struggling to try and cope on my own, i miss out not only on the strength He has for me, but experiencing His care and growing in our relationship.

And I am oh so tired of caring for myself on my own.

I remember reading the verses about the woman with the bleeding issue when i was first a believer, and relating to her:

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her.  Luke 8:43

I too have had an issue with cysts and heavy bleeding since i was 14 years old.  No one has been able to stop it here on earth. I am thankful that it has slowed with medical intervention & eating a healthier diet (staying away from too much caffeine along with all soy & dairy has helped develop less cysts and keep my hormones more in check), but it has not been healed so far…

And today, I acknowledge to myself, God and all of you,  my heart has stopped believing in my dream…. to be able to say the following as part of my testimony:

She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. Luke 8:44

Boy, putting that into words both hurts and feels freeing to my spirit.

I say i believe, but my trust in His best plan for me has waffled over this issue….literally, of blood.

I believe, I know He can heal, for I have both seen it and experienced it in other ways.

But will He?

The Word reminds us God is our healer in many places, and how He has the best in store for those who love & follow Him.  I believe in that truth deep down.

His capability is not in question in my mind or heart.

His will is for me to be whole, fully restored, and healed.

But will He heal me in this area?

Ultimately, I know when I meet Him face to face as i enter eternity, I will be the me He planned for me to be since creation.  And i do draw comfort in that actuality, that fact yet to pass.

But will He heal me in this area now?

Timing becomes the question… I want His healing now.  I am weary of having spent 20 years of gross frustrating embarrassing and exhausting at times handling this issue.

And that is the crux of the problem.

I have been gripping this issue too tightly.

I have not fully let go of it and gripped on to His hem.

I am tired of trying to hold it all together, Lord.

I am letting go of my timing, my desires for You to heal  me on my terms.

I am grabbing the hem of Your robe, pressing in and refusing to let go.

Because I KNOW You want me healed.

I speak this out right now, I believe You’re my Healer.

You can, You want to, and You will heal me.

And until Your timing is released for this issue of blood to be removed from me, You will be more than enough to keep me in the midst of my struggle.

You have been for me since before I was born, and always will be.

I surrender my doubts that You don’t care about me enough to heal me, You may not ever heal me while I am here on earth, and I am not worthy to be healed.

Because of what You did on the cross, Jesus, You have made me worthy through the covering of Your blood. I can approach with confidence because the veil has been torn, and You invite me to come.  The One who rose from the grave? He is more than able.

And like the daughter in this story, I do not go unnoticed. You are keeping Your eye on me.

I pray that how the story ended for the woman in Luke 8 ends the same for me, but I am determined not be hiding when You do heal me, God, but shouting it from the rooftops. May You build in me the Rock solid faith I need for my healing to come to pass because of Your touch:

 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.  When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”  But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

Reader,  did you know its okay to have doubts?

Its not okay to keep your doubts hidden.

We need to bring them out into the light of His presence, so He can help us seem them in alignment with His truth, and who He is.

Doubts hidden become strongholds of the enemy, giving him space in our minds where he was never meant to roam, and begin to trap our spirits in chains from the pit.  

God made us to long for more.

Come as you are to God. He loves us as we are….whether wounded, broken, hurting, doubting, fearful, angry, insecure, lonely.  He never makes us feel bad for our feelings, but as He pours His love into us, we can be healed and made whole beyond imagining.

He is and always will be more than enough for all we need, and works tirelessly to bring His design for us into reality!

So I will never let go of Your hem God. Because close to You is where i was meant to be.

 

 

 
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resting declares freedom

Karla Lees

Resting is a declaration of freedom. -Kerri Weems

We are meant to wield our rest.

Rest is not the lack of action, but a weapon to choose.

Our choice not to act is in fact an action.

When we fail to choose rest, we find ourselves ever increasingly exhausted, stressed out and not focused on God.  We become trapped on the world’s running wheel,  at a pace we were never designed for.  We become captive to the action of go, through our lack of understanding in just how much of a blessing to us rest actually is.

The bottom line is this….if God Himself rested after a busy week, why do we think we can keep going? The Maker of the Universes & all that is in them needs to nap, but His creations don’t?  Everything God created has seasons of planting, growth, pruning, harvesting and last but not least: resting.

When we deliberately choose to rest, we free ourselves from the enemy’s mindset that we have no other choice but to stay in the whirlwind of busyness.   In answering His invitation, we find His rest, true restorative rest deep within begins to seep into our mind, body and spirit:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. – Jesus, in Matthew 11:28-30

In choosing to go to Jesus, and choose rest, God not only restores us, but gives us the weapon we can use to protect ourselves from the enemy: deliberate choice to sit at His feet, and rest there.

In His Presence, we learn to unwind, de-stress, listen to His voice,  and follow His graceful leading.  When we stay resting in Him, we keep free, and our spirits remain refreshed.

Rest is not only about sleeping, but the laying down of ourselves before Him, allowing Him to fill us with His love, peace, joy, hope.

We find our true selves at His feet.

We find the refuge, the shelter, the safe place, our true Home in Him.  Where we can fully become the “us” He designed us to be, and be released to live the life God intended for us!

The enemy knows that if we draw close to Him, he will have less access to us.

If we keep His words in our minds, and live our lives in His flow for us, the enemy has less of a battleground to attack us from.

For when we rest in Him, we are drawn into the wide open fields of freedom God has for us, like a bird released from its cage who immediately heads to the currents of wind where she was meant to soar.

Like Mary, we were meant to let go of what the world tells us we must do, and choose the best yes by remaining at Jesus’ feet.

Now before you start complaining nothing will ever get done if i do that (been there, thought that!), let me tell you that somehow in the design of time, spending the time in rest with God seems to make me more productive.  My purpose for the moment seems clearer, and i get more done in less time with less errors or distractions.  I am less stressed out when emergencies pop up, and keep my cool way longer than i am capable of naturally!

I don’t get it, but i don’t have to! I just need to choose to grab hold of rest, and wield it as He leads me to use it!  When I seem headed back onto the never-ending to-do treadmill, prompt me early God to use the rest You have given me to break the tentacles of busyness and stress from reattaching themselves to me.

Lord, may we pick up rest  today, and use it as You lead us to in the coming moments, hours, days.  Because of Your actions on the cross, You declare us free, and desire for us to stay free in You.  Help us to draw close, lay our burdens and to do lists before You. May we pick back up that which You desire for us to complete each day, and may we never stray far from Your voice as we live out the purpose for which You called us.  May our preoccupation ever be Jesus!

restisaweapon

Sunday Psalm: Be Still, Seriously?

Karla Lees

Oh Lord
Inside I am racing
like a car engine revving up
for its heat in the big race,
go go go
get ‘er done
check it off the to do list
Peace is feeling farther & farther away with every new task I take on,
with the situation I face
causing me to spin in place
until
miraculously
i hear Your whisper
Your voice breaking through
the chaos of my bustle
the anxiety of my hustle
and You simply say
Rest.
Be still
I got this.
You are in My hands.
Nothing can take you
away from Me.
Nothing you can do
will make Me love you more
Nothing you can say
will change My love towards you
You had your chance
to do it your way,
now its time for the best
to be released
My way
My timing
My help
in My strength
with My purpose for you.

Had enough of spinning your wheels?
Come to Me
and rest.
Tired of a listless spirit?
Come to Me
and live.
Weary of what’s holding you back?
Come to Me
and be free.

Ready to make the change
to never be the same
to live fully in My Name
as i rearrange you
from the inside out?

Seriously,
its time to be still,
and let Me in the driver’s seat.

I know where you are headed.
I know the safest route.
I know how to guide you
through every turn, dip or stop.

Come,
be still.
Rest in me.
Lay your burden down.
I am here waiting for you.

Our next part of our adventure
together is waiting
for you.

Come,
just come.
I’ll take care of the rest.

You only need to be still.
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resting in the moment with God

Karla Lees

This Monday, I did something completely different.

I have a piece posting to a different website today, and I am inviting you to drop in and read how to find rest in the moment throughout your busy days.

There are a few tips & suggestions for those of us who need a jumping off point to add more rest for our souls into our daily life.

This is an area very close to my heart, as I have, like most of you, a very busy schedule but want to make God my priority and experience the rest He has for me, each and every day.

Like our bodies, our souls were designed for rest. The kind of rest where we are setting aside our usual busyness to spend time listening, praying and being with Him. Purposefully showing God He is our first priority for a period of time.

I would be blessed if you would visit Christian Women at Work, a Canadian site with practical tips for becoming who we were meant to be in God, whether at work or at rest. Bonny O’Hare is a phenomenal business woman who exemplifies a God seeker wherever she is.

http://christianwomenatwork.com/resting-in-the-moment-with-god/

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pressed to release His fragrance

Karla Lees

I am in a season of being pressed.

Not to be broken & destroyed, but so that I can release Him more fully within me & to those around me.

Maybe you can relate.

I had a glimpse another pressing season was headed my way with some words spoken a few weeks ago, and then I got clearer direction as I soaked & waited.

There are three books He is calling me to work through & bring what gets pressed in me to Him- either because it needs to go, or He is releasing it to flow.

The first is to press the past out of me and lead me to a deeper rest.

The second is to break out from the beliefs & ways I have hidden myself away, to lead me to deeper relationships.

The third is to press through into the full release of freedom He has for me, and to move into His stronghold, to make God my refuge in a way I have not yet experienced.

I am excited enough to want to jump up & down with excitement, and scared enough to want to toss my cookies, all rolled into one.

Can you relate?

I heard clearly today that on the other side of our deepest hurts is the greatest freedom where we are meant to roam.

I don’t want my fear & desire to stay the same to hold me back from all He has for me.

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The first book is Finding Spiritual Whitespace by Bonnie Gray.

I am so weary from trying to hold all my broken pieces together for so long.

God is calling me out of hiding and into wide open spaces of grace & rest unlike any I have known before.

The second book is Scary Close by Donald Miller.

I have read half of the first section, and it is truly scary close how much this book is already resonating within me.

The third book has not yet been released, and was written recently by a new sister and fellow writer Beth Kinder, called Stronghold.
(Remade Ministries)

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Freedom awaits, and the cage door is opening.

I plan on running through it, albeit with tears, headlong straight into the embracing arms of Jesus, Daddy & Spirit.

It is going to be rough trying to work full time while I am undergoing open heart & brain surgery, but He is reminding me He is more than enough for ALL my needs, and this is the time.

Are you ready to leap towards the flight of freedom &  or allow fear to keep you bound & tethered?

Join me.  Press in for what He has for you today, in this season.

A richer, deeper faith awaits, along with a new level of wholeness for your life.

He will release a new sense of His presence within us, and we will become a sweeter fragrant aroma as a result.

NOW is the time for freedom!

PS. I will be asking God each time i hang out with Him where i am meant to  work through that visit. Where to start, & where to stop.
An avid reader, I have a tendency to speed read, and He is wanting His words of freedom to soak in & take root as He uproots the weeds of my heart & mind.  Allowing Him to take the lead declares my belief I am safe in His hands, and willing to go wherever He leads.

Steep in His Love

Karla Lees

Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Matthew 6:33 MSG

Afraid of missing out?

I know I am at times…maybe more than I am comfortable admitting!

There are days where I don’t get in those things I love to do, such as a freshly steeped cuppa tea to start off or end my day.  I miss my tea when I don’t make the time for it.

lightstock_101455_xsmall_karla_leesThe same can be said for our daily quiet time:  our faith needs daily steeping as well.

The Bible reminds us all that God is there for us in a real, life-altering way.

He extends His hand in a love driven offer for you:
To be with You.
To care for You.
To love You.

Honestly, I  need to reread the above verse from Matthew every day.

For it reminds me He is just waiting to help us.

He promises in His Word to provide for us, in every way we need, each day.

Just like tea, the more we steep in Him for our daily needs, the stronger the faith we will develop!

It’s time to come and soak, and let Him steep the truth of who He is deep within us, as we daily depend on Him to strengthen us, for….

He is real! – we are in relationship with a tangible touchable living God!

He started it!– All things start in Him, and as our Maker He knws how to best help us become the “us” He designed, made & hopes for.

He will provide! – He promises as we seek Him & give Him first place, our needs will be met.

Let Him take our daily rawness, and make something more wonderful as we steep in His Presence.

May we end up a sweet offering, pleasing to our King!

Note: this post was based upon my daily devotion which posted today at Remade Ministries, an organization designed to help women be remade in His hands:

http://remade-ministries.org/devotion/strengthen-your-faith/

pausing in the yearning

Karla Lees

I have a confession to make.
I don’t like waiting.
In fact, I hate it.

Like a wild horse, I have been in need of taming in this area. And with the brokenness that came from the taming at His hands, I have found a secret that helps me in the inevitable wait.

Because we all have something we are waiting for, do we not?

When I am longing, yearning for something- I have found I am able to pause, breathe deep, and sneak in a moment of rest.

It doesn’t meant I am not waiting any longer.

Nor does it mean I am not yearning passionately for the answer I seek.

It means I can lay it down, put my head on Jesus’ shoulder, and rest.

A pause doesn’t mean you aren’t in motion.

It actually makes the motion more pronounced and possibly even more effective.

As a musician, I have learned the value of properly timed rests in the music I play or sing.

With the pauses, the music has a chance to be highlighted, and can sound more majestic, playful or worshipful as a result.

The white spaces make the black notes stand out.

The rests give the surrounding sounds movement.

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I also believe that a pause or rest can also:
Rejuvenate me in my wait. 
Revitalize my passion.
Renew my energy and determination for the path ahead.

Instead of being frustrated by the pause, I am looking at it more as a pit stop on the long race of life.

Time to refuel, change the tires, take a breather and refocus before heading back into the race.

When we rest in Him, we pause to connect with God, who has already told us He has the best in store for us.

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In our pause, we can remember His goodness, trust in His love, and rest deep within, knowing it is well with our souls.

Even if we aren’t there yet.

cracked

Karla Lees

Forget your perfect offering 
There is a crack in everything 
That’s how the light gets in.

-Leonard Cohen

Those who know me best know I am slightly cracked.

Not just because I have an off the wall sense of humor at times, but for a lesser known reason.

I believe its okay not to be okay all the time.

I know been working hard at becoming more purposefully transparent.

Meaning if someone asks me how my day is, I answer truthfully, not with the generic “Okay” we can tend to automatically reply with when we don’t want to let people know how we are really doing…whether we are afraid to share it, or fearful of either their indifference or judgment.

This weekend, I sensed I was to get a long term chronic pain in my left hip looked at. Not knowing exactly what direction that meant, I decided to just listen for a few days for clarification.

Sunday morning, our first speaker shared a story about you guessed it, a problem with his hip stemming from a foot injury (mine was a knee injury). After the sermon, I was more convince than ever I needed to get my hip looked at (the speaker ended up needing surgery, after imaging revealed some serious damage to his hip).

My fear factor took over big time. I assumed the timing of this talk meant I might need an MRI or possibly surgery, at the best case it was a flare of early osteoarthritis, which has shown up in my hands & feet over the past year. Forget the fact that I have had four car accidents and two knee surgeries, i just mentally jumped the gun to my worst case scenario.

I briefly mentioned this to one of my bosses on Monday, who happens to be an excellent sport physiotherapist, and asked if he thought a thorough assessment would be a good idea, or go right for imaging. (A physiotherapist can write a letter of recommendation for imaging to a doctor based on their findings.) He thought both worth considering, as this issue has been bothering me off and on for years, and could be an indication of something serious.

Today, an unexpected cancelation and a incidental delay in a meeting allowed me to fit in a very thorough and a bit uncomfortable assessment. I was very honest about my related history, and the physio was equally honest with her questions during the exam.

The findings?

One of my legs is a centimeter shorter than the other, which (in my understanding) is causing my muscles from my hip to tilt my pelvis slightly forward to compensate, painfully tightening my back and hip muscles in the process. What I experienced as my back giving out was my body’s cry of exhaustion and help.

A lift in my left shoe, a few rounds of an uncomfortable stretch, some support taping and instructions not to put my feet up at the end of the day nor to stay seated too long have combined to drop my pain level about 50%.

I am dumbfounded at how God stirred me to speak about what I was fearful of to the right person, and how His timing reworked my schedule to make this happen.

If I hadn’t spoken out my concern and need, I wouldn’t have found the answer He meant for me to find. He cracked through my fear to highlight the root of what was really going on. And I am left grateful and hopeful for a less pain filled future!

So I shared this with my family, my life group tonight, and now with you.

Because its okay to answer we aren’t okay, if that is how you truly are.

God invited those who are weary and heavy burdened to come to Him for rest.

Not those who have it all together.
Rather, those of us who know our need, are willing to admit it, and willingly come to Him.

I know my cracks and how much I need to be fixed.

Despite it all, I realize if i weren’t cracked, you couldn’t see Him shine through my weakness.

Because some days, its only His strength that is keeping me going.

And that is okay.

May you see Him clearly through the cracks in your life, as He has been shining through mine.

We don’t need to be perfect to hold His glory, just willing to be filled.

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when the road seems long

Karla Lees

Some of you wandered for years in the desert, looking but not finding a good place to live. Half-starved and parched with thirst, staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion.

Psalm 107:4-5

Some of us wake up feeling this way, don’t we?

On the brink of sheer exhaustion, running on empty, in desperate need of spiritual feeding, parched beyond our imagination.

At rock bottom
emotionally
physically
mentally
spiritually

We can be so obsessed with our need, we forget to look to the Source of all our aid. So we wallow in our need, unknowingly making the situation even worse with our independent thinking and short sightedness.

Some of us need to hit rock bottom before we will be able to look up.

When we look up, and ask for His help? Cry out with all that is within us?

Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to God. He got you out in the nick of time; He put your feet on a wonderful road that took you straight to a good place to live.

Psalm 107:6-7

He rescues us. Plants our feet on solid rock, and helps us as we journey towards our eternal Hope at the end of the road before us.

But God doesn’t stop here, He offers even more:

So thank God for His marvelous love, for His miracle mercy to the children He loves. He poured great draughts of water down parched throats; the starved and hungry got plenty to eat.

Psalm 107:8-9

Feel like the weight on your shoulders is too much?

You can’t go one more step the way you have before?

You are ready for God to move mightily on your behalf, if you will turn to Him and but ask.

Your Hope is always waiting.

On the days when the road seems long, don’t give up.

Look up.
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The 3 ways rest can keep us safe

Karla Lees

Did you know that not getting enough rest is bad for you beyond how it affects your body?

There are three key reasons why rest is one of the components to our overall well-being, besides the benefits physically.

1. Rest denies the enemy from affecting our soul.

It appears that rest is one of our main defenses against the enemy.
Resting in God allows Him to be our defender, as outlined in:
Psalm 91

While we rest in Him, He battles for us, and will win:

God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

Romans 16:20 NIV/ESV

Our souls are protected when we rest in God.

2. Rest restricts the emotional attack against us.
When we keep ourselves from becoming anxious, and give things over to God when we are upset or concerned, we align our hearts up with the rest we have in our soul & body.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

Matthew 11:28-30

Maintaining our emotional rest not only shields us from the enemy’s attempts to send fiery darts to harm us, it allows us to walk in the rhythms of His grace. Our faith & trust in Him becomes our shield.

3. Rest restrains the mind from speculation.
When we keep our focus on God, and through His Word, worship & time in His Presence, we get to closely know the God we love, we are building a solid foundation of fact in our minds. Knowing His lavish love for us and memorizing His Word are how our mind can find rest through the storms and from the distracted thoughts the enemy likes to subtly shoot our way… “God couldn’t forgive you for that!” “nobody will love you when they hear what you did” etc.
Knowing His Word & resting in the truth contained there is protection for our minds, the helmet of salvation.

Final Thoughts:
God our Warrior battles for us.
Placing our faith & trust in Him helps shield our emotions.
Spending time with Him, our Truth, protects our minds from attack.

Resting in Him, when added to taking care of our bodies by getting enough physical rest, is our strongest defense against the enemy’s schemes.

But more than that, as we get to know God more & more, and draw closer to Him no matter the season we are in, He offers rest that encompasses our whole being as we seek Him every step of every day.

We were never designed to find rest on our own, but through God, who is both the rest we seek & holding out the rest we need for every part of us in His loving hands.

I am not missing out on that offer of all encompassing rest!

*All quotes in black bold font are from: Graham Cooke, The Practice of Rest