THURSDAY,
FEBRUARY 26th:
Nancy
Boorman
Scripture:
1 Kings 19: 11-13
11 So He said, “Go forth and stand on
the mountain before the LORD.”
And behold, the LORD
was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and
breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but
the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind
an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
12 After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was
not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing.
13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle
and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, “What are you
doing here, Elijah?”
Quotes:
Each of us
has an inner room where we can visit to be cleansed of fear-based thoughts and
feelings. This room, the holy of holies, is a sanctuary of light.
Marianne
Williamson
Prayer:
Oh God, help me care for myself so that I may care for
others. Help me turn down the volume of
all the noise that prevents me from listening to the sometimes too quiet
whisper of my heart and respond to your guidance.
Reflection:
So often as a student minister I felt like
Elijah, so very zealous for the Lord. Earnestly working, diligently persevering
through sleepy days, difficult situations and life split between seminary, family,
and my new found church family. All of who seemed to need every ounce of me,
which of course I was more than willing to give. Wasn’t that what I was
supposed to do? God had called me, so I was answering, and this was what was
needed, to pour myself fully out to the last drop. I took no Sabbath rest nor
time to reenergize my zeal for the Lord, I just kept giving. Just as Christ
felt a portion of power leave him when the woman touched his robe in the
streets of the city as he walked amongst the crowds I too felt my energy
draining. I did not heed the warnings signs nor did I slow my pace. If anything
I frantically picked up the pace. An acute lack of self-care lead me to the
brink of collapsing and to a wakeup call for refuge and sanctuary for my own
self.
I was the Elijah of verse 9 in the book of 1
Kings, full of zeal for the Lord. However, now it was time to be the Elijah of
the cave, waiting for the still small voice of the Lord, the gentle breeze. You
see in my frantic need to be poured out I had drowned out the voice which
filled me to the brim for the work I was called to. I stood in the wind, in the
earthquake and in the fire and then had no stillness within me to stand at the
door and feel the gentle breeze and the whisper of the Almighty.
Looking back it was a short coming on my part
that I am glad I learned about early in my career. In our fast pace culture
that thrives on busyness and effort we ALL to often forget to seek refuge from
the noise and clutter we call life. We feel it is selfish to place our need for
sanctuary and refuge above our To-Do-List. It’s not selfish, it’s necessary. We
must rest if we wish to finish the race. We must seek refuge if we wish to
endure the storms that lie in wait for us. We must take sanctuary for our
bodies, and souls. Gratefully I have learned to rest my mind and still my body
so I may hear the gentle breeze and re fill my well with what is needed to
continue my journey. Gratefully I seek refuge, some times in a day, an hour or
a minute that I can steal away from the rush of life and be still and know my
God.
Have you taken a deep breath today? I mean a
truly deep breath that fills you followed by a long exhale that calms your
body and mind? Can you carve out a portion for refuge and sanctuary? The Lord
is waiting for you, will you follow the gentle breeze and still small voice?
Writing
Prompts:
·
“In order to take care of others, I must
first…”
·
“When I close my eyes, and take a deep breathe
I feel…”
Blessing:
Bless the care takers.
Give them time for rest and renewal. Provide sources to restore their
spirits and lighten their burdens so they can better serve, teach, feed,
clothe, heal, counsel, minister and provide for those in their care.
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