Holy Refreshment
So many times in life we have obstacles, we get weary, tired, burned out…we need refreshment. We say Lord I need some encouragement, Lord help me find more joy, more peace. We go to church on Sunday to get filled up to be enouraged by the body of believers and ultimately to refresh our souls. This month I was in such a place where I said Lord I need some refreshment. But when I asked the Lord for a cool glass of water he let me know that I had it all wrong. Instead he said Sarah whatever you need, you be the first to give it away. If you need encouragement or refreshment than you be the first to give it away, if you need money you be the first to give it away, if you need joy you be the first to share my joy with others. The Lord is so funny because so many times we say yeah Lord just refresh me and then I will be able to pour out onto others for you. But instead the he says in refreshing others, in giving away what at that moment you do not have I will restore it in you. I myself will refresh you through refreshing others. When we do this we are completely trusting in the incredible faithfulness of the God we serve to give what we ourselves do not have and to refill with what we are incapable of putting in.
This month the Lord has taught me a lot about the beauty in the way that he works. He has taught me to remember the importance of an encouraging word, a hug, a sandwich given away on a street corner, the power in a simple smile to a stranger or a prayer when you don’t have enough time to stop. God works in mysterious ways he truly does because for us it seems like it is all backwards. When we shift the focus from ourselves onto others we are really living from a place than can only come from our strength in him. I love the song by United Pursuit- Nothing I hold Onto, because it says I lean not on my own understanding but my life is in the hands of the maker of heaven. This is such a good reminder to me to constantly trust in faith for everything from the Lord. If I was leaning on my own strength I would feed myself first and then feed others but the Lord says no feed others first and trust that in that I am going to take care of you. So no matter what circumstance you find yourself in right now whether you yourself are needing some refreshment or you are on cloud 9, whatever you need be the first to give it away to others. So who can you refresh today in the Lord?
I lean not on my own understanding, my life is in the hands of the maker of heaven. I give it all to you God trusting that you will make something beautiful out of me.
