After spending the weekday mornings at Las Rosas from 9-1, we come home to eat lunch and then from at least 3-5 we do some manual labor around the house, I say at least 3 because sometimes we start sooner than that. With this much scheduled ministry plus preparing and eating dinner then a devotional with the girls of the house and team time, it’s extremely important to Make time for the Father to refill, and to rest. Something I’ve discovered these past couple of days is that it is apparent when I’m no longer working out of overflow from the Father and begin working only with my own strength. I can’t do all that’s expected of me on my own. No matter the type of ministry, working with special needs kids, shoveling and wheelbarrel-ing(?) gravel, translating every small sentence between a teammate and Chilean, cooking, or cleaning, work is work and it is exhausting. The Lord rested on the seventh day. And He commanded that we do that too. But as I continue working here in Chile, giving my best in everything I do, I’ve realized that rest isn’t something we need once a week, it’s something we need every day. The Father created sleep and stillness in the night and yet I find myself needing more than those things to be at my best. I need God. I need His peace and power and strength throughout every minute of every day. I need to run to Him in every event and with every feeling, continually admitting that I can’t do this without Him. Then I find comfort and peace. Being prompted by Chessie the other night we all chose a psalm or story of the Bible to read aloud and she encouraged us to do this daily. I chose Psalm 27, with the help of the Holy Spirit 😉 it says, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; though war may rise against me, In this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the Lord, That I will seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavillion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord. Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.” Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger, You have been my help; Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. When my father and my mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me. Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies. Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” (NKJV) This will be my psalm to the Lord in moments of hardship and exhaustion. PTL!
