Skip to main content

When overwhelmed ...

 

We finally have a date to have the kitchen installed. Unfortunately they kept pushing the installation date out so now it coincides with the installation of the floor coverings. So the flooring company will need to be pushed back, potentially the wallpapering may need to be pushed back and the installation of the heat pump pushed back. I have family arriving in five weeks so the pressure is on. Everything out of our kitchen and living areas were packed up and stored in the spare bedrooms so there is no space for company! We need to get the kitchen in and the flooring down before we can unpack because of the probability of dust. Time will be tight.

I am really tired at the moment and could be really stressed. However, I know God is interested in all the details of my life. Many times I have asked Him for help even in small minor things and He has never failed me--that shows His care and love for me. I trust Him. It is safe to leave the final outcome to Him. He knows I have family coming for our 140th celebrations. He knows I am on the organizing committee, He knows I have an item to prepare for the concert.  He knows and He is faithful.

So when I feel overwhelmed, I remember that ‘God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). He calls me to come to Him when I am weary and He will give me rest (Matthew 11:28). So I step away from everything that is going on, I find a corner to relax and I talk to Jesus. I feel the tension leave—I arise refreshed and ready to move forward.

Whenever I am tempted to feel anxious, I also remember that He says ‘do not feel anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God’ (Philippians 4:6). So I pray about the situation then I thank God for all He has done for me, for His mercy and compassion, for His faithfulness, for His love. Then I pray my request. Every single time, He gives me peace--there is no longer any anxiety.

God is faithful to His promises, you can trust Him—in big things and small things. It’s simple really, He loves you!

My prayer for you is that you will find your refuge in God; that you will find rest in God; that you will find peace in God. God’s Word really does meet all our needs. God is sovereign, we can depend on Him no matter what. Trust Him.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Time to relax

  Another update on the ongoing saga of the renovations. The new kitchen has now been pushed out until September with no date given. The flooring has now been pushed out until the 19 September and wallpapering sometime after that. We have to wait for the wallpapering before we install the new heat pump and the range-hood. The new lounge suite will take three to four months to be ready in the colour we want. Family are coming for our 140 th church celebrations the second week in October. I’m praying that the heat pump is up! There will literally be no chairs for them to sit on. Hopefully the new kitchen will at least be installed so I can unpack all the boxes that are currently stored in the spare bedrooms otherwise I have no place for them to sleep. I am laughing at the thought of sleeping bags in the lounge around the piano which is currently right in the middle where we moved it to allow painters to get around it. But today, I had a lovely relaxing morning. My friend is stil...

Planting Seeds

  Carrying on from last week, I was wondering how I am sowing seeds. I realised that we can all sow seeds everywhere we go. I don’t go out that often actually, I don’t belong to any secular groups but I can still be responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Under his leading I made a determined effort to get to know the names of all the staff at my two favourite cafés that I visit at least weekly. I ask about their families; I support where I can. My friends and I find opportunities to give them all a little gift of chocolate and a card with a verse of scripture written on it. They all know we are Christians. I guess that might be called planting seeds. I converse with the supermarket checkout operators just to have a chance to bring a blessing to them. Some of them now know I am a Christian. I can easily bring God into conversations with unsaved family members, neighbours and strangers I stop and talk to in the park—with the leading of the Holy Spirit. I do not adopt a heavy...

The Importance of Unity

  What do you do when you think the Pastor or Senior Leadership Team have got it wrong! A friend was recently talking about a decision made by our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) including the Pastor. We are a small church community, so decisions affect every member there. However, unless directly involved in a programme or initiative the SLT do not know how a decision they make might impact on the on-the-ground day-to-day running of that programme or initiative. It is important to talk to those involved to get their perspective and even in a small church this might not necessarily happen. Having said that, our SLT are generally very good at consulting. So, what do you do if you think it’s an unwise decision? This will of course depend on size of the church, whether the Pastor is a good listener and is prepared to talk about it and I’m sure, many other factors. My perspective is that I do not want to be talking about the Pastor behind his back. I do not want to gossip about him ...