Practical ways to have joy and peace in the Valley
We all need hope. Especially in the valley. Walking through the valley of the shadow of death is a hard place to be in. I have found myself dealing with extreme back pain this month, it had gotten so bad I couldn’t change the babies diaper, she’s almost 2 and is a silly girl, she’s active by the grace of God, so it’s become increasingly more difficult even without back pain.
When we’re in pain and have family to care for. It can be difficult to rely on others for help, even if you are a person who does ask for help regularly. My mama is an incredible source of strength and daily help to our family 7. It truly has been such a gift to have her here with us, because caring for a large family is hard work, and even under normal circumstances difficult.
However in seasons that require more of our people it’s important we remember that nothing is wasted. I found myself this week asking for a lot of help, I simply could not bend down to pick up the toy, the book, the piles of laundry. My body wouldn’t allow it. I saw my little girls come to my side, they are so little, but mighty, from bringing me my chai prepared by my oldest child, to holding my hand as I needed to use the bathroom. Their kindness and training was more evident to me this week that I truly could not do much. It reminded me, keep doing the good work, set the ten minute timer to help us stay focused and tidy after breakfast to prepare for lunch and after dinner to prepare for bedtime. Our children are incredible and resilient and can help with so much, even the 22 month old.
I know that at times it’s hard for us as mothers to stop to address our needs but sometimes our bodies will completely give out. Perhaps you’ve been hearing your body telling you to slow down, to rest. It may get to a point where your body is screaming: “I have been telling you to slow down, to rest, to get help for some time and now you’ve run me down and I cannot keep up anymore.
This is a hard place to find ourselves in.
There is so much that we want to do and have to do in a given day. And as Mamas we try to do our very best to be good stewards of the bodies God has given us but many times we take the back burner because there are more pressing issues at hand. Caring for an elderly parent. Homeschooling. Kids activities. Fires to be put out, “my body can wait, It doesn’t hurt all the time.” But it is important that we listen to our bodies, they are speaking.
It has been all the more evident this week how beautiful it is to live a slow paced life, creating patterns and rhythms to help us to flow through each day a little more smoothly.
Sometimes hobbling, but nonetheless making it through the day smiling.
It was not in my plans to see the chiropractor multiple times a week, but now I will have to for the foreseeable future. Because The Lord has helped me to create margin in my life this will not add additional stress, but serve as a time for reprieve, for rest.
I've been bringing one of the many books I am reading through, that's a whole other post, and the notes app on my phone to write down thoughts and scriptures as they come to my mind.
When the cares and concerns of our hearts mount and we wonder, “Where are you God, have you forsaken me?” Sister, we have to go back the counsel of Gods Word.
When self care is soul care.
- I want to invite you into some practical ways we can better nourish our bodies. Beginning with our minds. Our minds are truly powerful and will believe what we think, these thoughts will become our words which will then become our actions.
What we think on truly does matter.
So how do we think on good things? Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
The ONLY One who fills every single one of these is Christ. Therefore, I choose to fix my eyes on Him. I call out to Him. When we are tempted to believe the lie that God has forgotten us, we must turn our eyes back on Christ, we remind ourselves that at the cross God placed all of our sin on Jesus, and that Christ truly did experience Gods wrath, for us! So that we would never have to know separation from God! He did this to make a way back for us! So when we are wrestling in our minds with lies, we need to first have Gods Word stored in our hearts so that we can know what is truth and what are lies. It’s easy when we are in a season of hard to believe God has forgotten us, forsaken us, but if we will dig into His Word, we will find Roman’s 8:28, which tells us, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
I want His Word to so penetrate the fiber of our beings that when lies come we will KNOW to speak His Word out! Literally, SPEAK IT OUT!
Sisters, we are in a real life war, and while our Country is in uncertain times, the war which is closer to home is right between our eyes. In our brains. A war for our soul. For our children. Knowing this, guard your heart with all diligence, for everything flows from here. I know The Lord will meet us and will help us in our weakness, He will be our strength!
2. Get. Off. Your. Feet.
Sit down, pour a cup of coffee or tea, and just think on lovely things. When life is hard, just on a day to day it is important for us truly stop and breath. Stop and think about what we are thinking about. Are we thinking on good things? Or are our thoughts spiraling out of control? And if they are we must ask The Lord to help us.
Sister, The Lord has given us "weapons of warfare that are not carnal, but mighty through God for tearing down strongholds..." These strongholds are often in our minds. Lies we believe, but unless we sit and observe what is going on in our thinker we won’t truly know what we are dwelling on. So this week begin practicing the art of being still. Of sitting down, just for the simple purpose of being still. And allowing Holy Spirit to reveal to you, to me, what we are dwelling on and allowing His Word to comfort, instruct, lead us.
This is how we can renew our minds!
This doesn’t happen by chance, it is us together with God being still and taking in His Word. These simple practices will help us to live more at peace, even in the midst of trials and tribulations.
Let’s put on the full armor of God!
Together we will trust that God will use all this pain for our good, somehow, and for His Glory! This week as I found myself crying a lot, because my pain was so intense, I did what is most comforting to me, I sang out His Word all the more, Esther Mui has a playlist of Gods Word in song form. These have served as not only a blessing in my time of need, but also a weapon to equip us to further hide Gods Word into our hearts. You can find her on YouTube, or wherever you listen to music.
Her song, “Behold, I make all things new”, from Revelation 21:3-5 has been such an encouragement this week. Have a listen and be encouraged! Our enemy may prowl around like a lion seeking whom to devour but Our God is an all consuming fire, and He will come to our defense!!!
Know that I am praying for you this week, for myself, that like the Church of Ephesus, “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Ephesians 3:16-19
Even in the midst of hard, may we remember how loved we truly are. God has not forsaken us. He will carry us through.
3. Sit with Holy Spirit, ask Him to remind you, Where was God faithful to you before? Surely He will be faithful again. This is one of my favorite practical practices to help me to remember His Faithfulness.
Gather your sisters and share this message of hope with them! & If you're wondering how to find your sisters, your people, I'll be sharing more in detail on this in the next couple of weeks.
Further scripture study:
Isaiah 58:8-10, Isaiah 60:1, John 1:5, Psalms 119:15, Matthew 5:14, Psalms 27:1, Psalms 85:7-9, Acts 9:3, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 2 Corinthians 10:4, Isaiah 49:25. 1 Peter 5:8, 2 Corinthians 10:5
