Psalm 62:5-8
Only God gives inward peace,and I depend on him.
God alone is the mighty rock that keeps me safe,and he is the fortress
God saves me and honors me.
He is that mighty rock where I find safety.
Trust God, my friends, and always tell him each one of your concerns.
God is our place of safety.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Today I visited my grandmother at her Assisted Living Facility. I have to admit, it’s getting harder and harder to visit with her. Most days, she can barely manage to speak a few words, and you have to guess at what she is trying to say. She sits and looks at her lap and fidgets. She is restless…and lately, she has been grumpy. She can’t tell us what is wrong, but I suspect she is just tired of this world.
Today there were more words than usual, though broken and scattered. But as I tried to think of things to tell her, I shared how Timothy was frustrated and did not want to go to bed. I said, “It’s tough to be three sometimes… just like it’s tough to be one hundred.” My grandmother began to cry. She reached out and grabbed my hand with one of hers, and with the other, she reached for my face and cupped my chin. Then she said, “I wish you would come more often.” If I stayed with my grandmother 24/7, she would still say this. And I had to laugh to myself at the thought that when I do visit, she spends our time together complaining… usually that I don’t come often or stay long enough.
But this day, she managed to add, “I am so lonesome.” She also was able to tell me she doesn’t begrudge (her word) that I have other obligations and must balance my time… and that “I’ve tried to explain that I’m working on it.” I asked her what she was working on, and she replied, “Being lonesome.” I attempted to assure my grandmother that we are all lonesome from time to time. And I reminded her that she is surrounded by people all day long. But I also understand that for a woman of her age who is limited by speech, hearing, vision, and limited mobility… and a forgetful mind… life can be quite isolating.
If I let myself, these thoughts could drive me batty… wouldn’t the devil love that?! Instead, I have chosen to share my concerns with God. Oh, He already knows them… but He loves it when we come before Him and pour out our hearts. I know that my grandmother must do this, too… in whatever way she can these days – and that she has given God her worries and frustrations for decades.
I do have an inner peace. I know that God has a reason for keeping my grandmother on this earth. I’ve told Him that I believe she deserves to get to go to heaven, where every tear will be wiped away and she will speak and dance again. And I’ve very clearly felt God telling me, “I hear you… and I’ve got this!” Believe me, I have not held back! I’ve shared concerns and frustrations and requests aplenty about all sorts of issues and challengescl and each time I have felt His strength and a sense of inner calm. If not, I’ve kept talking to Him until that feeling washed over me!
Your frustrations, worries and concerns are probably far different than mine. You most likely don’t have a 100-year-old grandmother. But you may have trials and situations that I cannot even fathom. And our God is big enough to handle all of them! He can blanket you in strength and inner peace. He can be your rock and place of safety, just as surely as He is mine and my grandmother’s.
God can fill the loneliest heart with joy and peace and still the mind of anyone Satan tries to trouble. All you have to do is trust Him - and tell Him each and every one of your concerns. When was the last time you really “came clean” with God and told Him everything? How much inner calm do you have? Isn’t it time to give your burdens and frustrations to God and start operating in His safety and peace? Won’t you share what’s on your heart with Him today?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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