Rest Here a While

Have you ever felt like your circumstances are just sucking the life out of you? Like you need to physically stop for while and rest? Maybe like you want to pause life, take a breather, then continue on. I have felt like that recently. Almost too tired to even pray about it.

Monday someone asked me if I had tried praying to the fertility god. What?? Is that a real question? Of course, her friend's, brother's, wife's, friend's, sister did it and it worked!! (It's always a story like this.) What do ya know! Should Curtis and I also drink a bottle of wine and listen to Def Leopard for added good "luck"? All I could say is, "Yes, I pray to the God of all creation. And, I'm pretty sure that was just a coincidence."

These stories have made me so much more aware that sympathy is all you have to give in moments that seem a little awkward. Sometimes all that's needed is "I'm so sorry." or "I'm praying for you." Advice is not always needed.

I was reading Streams in the Desert for December 23 today. What a fantastic writing about Elijah! I love to read about men and women in the Bible who were tried in their faith, yet displayed human qualities...like disliking their circumstances, being tired, wanting a break. I can relate so much more.

Ashly and I have joked about the verse in the Bible where God promises He'll never give us more than we can handle. We laughed saying, "Lord, I promise I'm not this strong!" But, oh, we can't fool Him. He knows. He knows much better.

I'm too tired to trust and too tired to pray,
Said I, as my overtaxed strength gave way.
The one conscious thought that my mind possessed,
Is, oh, I could just drop it all and rest.

Will God forgive me, do you suppose,
If I go right to sleep as a baby goes,
Without questioning if I may,
Without even trying to trust and pray?

Will God forgive you? Think back, dear heart,
When language to you was an unknown art,
Did your mother deny you needed rest,
Or refuse to pillow your head on her breast?

Did she let you want when you could not ask?
Did she give her child an unequal task?
Or did she cradle you in her arms,
And the guard your slumber against alarms?

Oh how quickly a mother's love can see,
The unconscious yearnings of infancy.
When you've grown too tired to trust and pray,
When overworked nature has quite given way:

Then just drop it all, and give up to rest,
As you used to on your mother's breast,
He knows all about it -- the dear Lord knows,
So just go to sleep as a baby goes;

Without even asking if you may,
God knows when His child is too tired to pray.
He judges not solely by uttered prayer,
He knows when the yearning of love are there.

He knows you do pray, He know you do trust,
And He knows, too, the limits of poor, weak dust.
Oh, the wonderful sympathy of Christ,
For His chosen ones in that midnight tryst,

When He told them, "Sleep and take your rest,"
While on Him the guilt of the whole world pressed --
You have trusted your life to Him to keep,
Then don't be afraid to go right to sleep.
Ella Conrad Cowherd

Father, thank you that You know. You know us better than we know ourselves. You know the very thoughts we have even we when can't speak them. Thank You for understanding, caring and even washing my feet. Thank You that You make all things new and restore my strength in You.

This song goes right along with this line of thought. It's the second song on my playlist if you care to listen.
All That I Can Say
By David Crowder

Lord I'm tired
So tired from walking
And Lord I'm so alone
And Lord the dark Is creeping in
Creeping up
To swallow me I think
I'll stop
Rest here a while

Chorus:
And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give
And this is all that I can say right now
And this is all that I can give, that's my everything

Lord didn't You see me cry'n?
And didn't You hear me call Your name?
Wasn't it You I gave my heart to?
I wish You'd remember
Where you sat it down

Chorus:
And this is all that I can say right now, i know it's not much.
But this is all that I can give, yeah that's my everything.
This is all that I can say right now [right now], i know it's not much.
But this is all that I can give, yeah that's my everything.

Bridge:
I didn't notice You were standing here
I didn't know that
That was You holding me
I didn't notice You were cry'n too
I didn't know that
That was You washing my feet
And this is all

This is all that I can say right now, oh i know its not much.
But this is all that I can give, yeah that's my everything.
This is all that I can say right now [right now], i know it's not much.
But this is all that I can give, yeah that's my everything.
This is all that I can say right now, oh i know it's not much.
But this is all that I can give, yeah that's my everything.. yeah that's my everything.. yeah that's my everything.. everything...