Tag: encouragement

A Few Good Reasons to Find Your Rest

On By sashakatzIn FemmeFuel by Sasha KatzLeave a comment

I recently wrote that I am ending my struggle with the traditional definition of rest.  As with most newly discovered revelations, it takes some time to swim through the bottleneck to the peaceful space of understanding.

Just to recap the last few months, God offered me a big plate and I gladly took it.  Three months of serving, giving and sharing.  It was a bit of a whirlwind, but I knew each event, time to share and work-behind-the-scenes had a beginning and an end.  My heart was beating for the women who did the work with me; the women and girls we were ultimately serving; and for the battle ground for good we were claiming.

The God-strength in me for that itty-bitty season looked like/felt like the tenacity of many horses running together.  And, that is sort of what is was; a whole lot of sisters running a really good race together.  Sometimes we are lucky enough to see the hopeful dreams in our heart work out in every day, small living.

Undoubtedly, the vibrations of our sister feet on the pavement woke up the darkside.  I could see how my spirit could have been slowed up or cancelled by discouragement and disappointment.  The world is good at that.  But sisters prayed, passed on bricks of encouragement and God showed up.

On the physical side of things, I hurt my back at bible study in the middle of all this.  Really?  I got a crazy flu and bronchitis.  Huh?  The combo of the back injury and the respitory infection made it feel just awesome to breathe.  Nice trick darkside.  Funny enough, nothing got in the way of the good work.  When we are weak and down, somehow He knows to dig deep in our souls and make magic out of a beat up body.

Just a few weeks ago, my plate was complete.  The round, shiny plate that was once full was emptied by the completion of some good works with good friends.  This is where I am.  This is the bottleneck.  What does a big heart do with a big, empty plate?  My soul yells, fill it!  Lord, what will I do for this next season?  Wisdom tells me to wait.

Wisdom tells me to take some time to seek and listen.  Wisdom tells me that, in the same way my good work season was rest for my soul, my next season will look very different, but also is rest for my soul. Our friend Matthew tells us to take His yoke and learn from Him because He is gentle and humble in heart.  In this way, we find rest for our souls.  In a season of busy and in a season of quiet, I may find rest for my soul.

Really, finding your way of rest, is worship.  He desires to bring you rest for your soul.  And, because you are made in His image, with a big, red beating heart that pumps best when you cling to Him, He has a very specific and unique design to bring you rest.

Your rest may look wild or adventurous.  It may be quiet and still.  It may ebb with activity or sway in a hammock with the gentle wind.  As He leads, you will find rest for your soul.  As you live in His rest, you are worshipping Him.  Keep moving and breathing in Him.  Keep resting and worshipping.  Keep swimming through the bottleneck to the open space He calls rest.

 

Through Thick and Thin

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, November 2011 (Thankfulness)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

As I read AbbyA’s blog yesterday about her mother and her tremendous amount of loss, I was reminded of Job. Like AbbyA’s mom, Job lost his family, his fortune, and his health. I was recently surprised by a pastor saying that many experts believe that time of testing in Job’s life to be a period of nine months! I was surprised by that as I expected it to be a period of several years. But nine months is a short time to lose so much, as I’m sure AbbyA’s mom knows too well.

But when I think of Job’s story, I also think of Job’s “friends.”  Friends who rather than comforting him and supporting him through his loss, only pointed fingers at him, asking him continually what he had done to incur God’s wrath. Sadly, often these things still happen today, even in the church. Rather than ministering to those around us, we judge, gossip. At the end of the book of Job, God judged Job’s friends, admonishing them for their response to Job’s predicament.

Often it is during the most difficult times in our lives that we realize who are true friends are. The fair weather friends quickly disperse when the clouds of a storm loom over our heads. They are nowhere to be found. But true friends stick with you, through thick and thin…for better and for worse.

I think of my life and how often already difficult situations would have truly been unbearable without the support and encouragement of my friends. What a blessing it is to be surrounded by people who truly care and support you!

So for today, I am thankful for the blessings of friends. Friends who’ve held my hand when I was scared and some who’ve even carried me when I could not walk. Friends who’ve stuck with me through the years. I am thankful for the blessings of my fellow blog sisters, AbbyA and JMathis, who have encouraged my writing aspirations and encouraged my walk with their writings. I am thankful for the friendship that has arisen out of our shared blog and shared passion.

Lord, thank you, for You truly do make all things beautiful.

When It’s Not Just About You…

On By femmefuelIn FemmeBytes by Bindu Adai-Mathew, September 2011 (Authenticity)Leave a comment

By Bindu Adai-Mathew

The “Such As”…
In yesterday’s blog, AbbyA described to us those “such as” moments: The very moment you decide to wear the inside on the outside.  Such as, speak a word of encouragement to someone you don’t know that well by using your own embarrassing past to make the point.  Such as, revealing you also sometimes feel isolated, alone and different.  Such as, admitting that you rely more on chocolate than God.  Such as . . .  Think about what you are hiding because it reveals too much about the real you.  That is the such as that I am talking about.

The very moment you open your mouth to share the such as.  At the very moment, you decide to go-out-on-limb, The Map pauses the fire in your gut and flashes for you a nice, clean path from A to Z.  That is, from the school pick up line, directly to your car.  That is, pass her quickly on the way to office kitchen because you are too afraid to mention to her that you too had a recent miscarriage.  That is, run like hell from the chance to wear your heart on your sleeve . . . even if to serve a greater purpose.  –AbbyA

I had a friend a couple of years ago who had a miscarriage. It was in the early stages of her pregnancy, and she had just started showing. She hadn’t told everybody about the pregnancy, but after she lost the baby, she did open up about the miscarriage, her struggles with it, and how she overcame it. Not necessarily to everyone, but to key people whom she felt could be encouraged by her story. When she first told me about it, I listened to her in stunned silence, my heart going out to her, my mouth at a loss of what to say to comfort and encourage her. But as she continued her story from loss into victory, I realized she didn’t need my encouragement, I needed hers.  No, I hadn’t suffered from a miscarriage, but I could learn by her example. I could be strengthened by her faith, by her perseverance to get past her own loss, and her desire to press onto victory and encourage others.  By being honest, by being authentic, she took away the feelings of shame and failure that often accompany miscarriage and was able to help herself as well as others.

Think about your struggles and what you’ve overcome. At the time you’re dealing with it, it may seem that it’s all about you. But when you press onto victory, it’s not about you any more. It’s about God. It’s about giving Him and honor and praise through your personal life and victory. It’s about encouraging someone else who is now struggling like you once were.

Authenticity. In the end, it’s really not just about you.