Quiet Time and Ear Plugs

What an eventful June and July.  As many of you know I broke my femur end of June and had to have surgery.  Needless to say, I have been in a wheelchair since, unable to put any weight on my leg for six long weeks. I had big plans for my new job, a grandbaby on the way, taking care of my elderly parents, and lots of home improvement projects planned for the summer and fall. Well, those were my plans.  But God had a whole different plan!

Not only did God slow me down, but He also brought me to a screeching halt!  At first, I was like “I ain’t got time for this”.  Well, my opinion did not matter.  And I am so glad it did not matter because what God has taught me during the last six weeks has been so valuable to my spiritual life and my mental health. 

I had been pretty stressed out trying to juggle work, home, and helping with my parents.  I had been so stressed out that I thought I was having a heart attack. Praise God it was just anxiety and asthma. During all that stress and anxiety, I distinctly remember crying out to God saying that I needed a break! Well, I did need a break, but not a broken leg. I think God has a sense of humor. His plans were definitely different than mine and this broken leg wasn’t the break I was hoping for but then it turned out to be a time of 100% rest, refocusing, and restoring.  Just what I needed!

Just a few things I learned while sitting in a recliner, included:

• This accident didn’t take God by surprise. God is always with me, even when I fell.

• Things can wait.

• My husband has been amazing helpmate and believe it or not, we have fallen more in love!

• Never take anything for granted and always open the door or help people who have disabilities or needs help. 

• And the biggest lesson learned ---->Sit quietly and listen to God.

My life was so busy, and I am a person who has a hard time saying no when asked to do something.  It did not take me long to realize that most of my whirlwind was self-inflicted!  As I sat in my recliner, I started thinking about my daily routines; sorting out what was a priority and what could wait without turning into a disaster.  Like many, I felt like if everything wasn’t done and timely, I was a failure.  But let me tell you that is so far from the truth!

God worked for six days creating the heavens and the earth.  But He rested on the seventh day. His example to us is to take time to rest (Genesis 2:2).  I started thinking about how to rest, not sitting in a recliner rest, but truly resting in His presence.  For example, I turned off all noise around me and closed my eyes.  I did not allow any thoughts to cross my mind and if they tried to sneak in, I bound them in the name of Jesus (2 Corinthians 10:5).  I simply asked God to refire my spirit and restore my peace.  I do not want to turn into the stressed out person I was before I broke my leg. I just listened and put myself in a position to honor His presence.  Then He whispered “Be Still. Stay focused on Me. Do not look to the left or to the right”.

During this time of meditation, I realized that I did not have to be the end all, be all, to all people.  In the quietness, He restored my fire as it had gotten down to a flicker before my injury.  The devil wants us to think that we must do everything, everywhere, and immediately.  That is not true. When we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will renew our spirit.  We should do this daily. Every day, I challenge you to go to a private place that has no distractions. Pour your heart out to God for just a minute.  And if you don’t have the words to say, know that He has already heard your cry. Then set back and listen with an open spirit and mind.  He will renew your spirit, I promise!

After my husband and I pray at night, I put my earplugs in and just listen to the quietness. I cannot tell you how that makes my spirit feel. But it brings such peace. God is my best friend, and He wants me to rest in His presence every day, not just on Sunday.  So, moving forward, I will make time to be completely still and quiet my mind, focus on Him completely, and listen to His nudging in my spirit.  No more be all, end all, to all.  Just me and Jesus and maybe a good pair of earplugs!

Psalm 62:1  “Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation”.

Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

God I'm Just Grateful by Elevation Worship & Chandler Moore

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights or words to this music.