How can I continue trusting God when I’m weary in body, mind and spirit?

August 26, 2013: Please “Share” this link to a new Precious Prodigal Blog Post http://www.preciousprodigal.com/blog/13-08-26.ht

Lamentations 3:22-23 “…his compassions fail not. They are new every morning.”

 

I’m tired today. Actually, I’m more than tired…I’m weary. After a long three-week travel schedule that included Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Seattle for a wedding, Virginia for speaking engagements, New England for a poetry reading/book signing and time with family and friends, I’m beat. And I didn’t do a very good job of applying the basic things I tell those of you who read my blog or come to hear me speak. I’m talking about things like not overdoing it, eating properly, and taking time apart before you “come apart.”

 

While I haven’t had a meltdown (yet), I found myself being irritable, tearful and way too far into my own head. I can’t speak for you, but inside my head can be a dark and dangerous place. That’s especially true when I’m tired because fear, worry and, if I’m not careful, self-pity are much more evident then. Loving a prodigal isn’t easy even in the short run, and I’ve been walking this path for a long time. What can I do when I’m feeling that way? What can you do?

 

The answer for me was found in Psalm 139:23, where the psalmist asks the Lord to search him and know his heart and thoughts. The NIV translates that as, “know my anxious thoughts.” I find great comfort in knowing that God knows my every thought, my every concern, and my every fear. And more than just seeing, He understands. I can depend on a God who hears my voice and my supplications, who inclines His ear to hear my prayers. (Psalm 116:1-2)

 

Another part of the answer is to remind myself that I’m only human, and loving a prodigal isn’t an easy path on the best of days. On days when I’m tired in body, mind, and even spirit, that journey can seem very tough indeed. So I can remind myself that feelings are only feelings, and those feelings, whether good or bad, often change. I can’t depend on them, and I certainly can’t make decisions based on them. It’s a lot better to depend on the wisdom of the God who is the very source of wisdom.

 

What about you? Having a tough day? Can I encourage you by reminding you that God hasn’t forgotten you or your broken heart? God says that, however unlikely, a mother might forget a child she’s nursing, but that He will not forget you or me. He has written our names on the palm of His mighty hand. (Isaiah 49:15-16)

 

Are there going to be some rough days for you and for me? Well, of course. Loving a prodigal and forgiving over and over again isn’t easy. And when we’ve pleaded and prayed and waited for what seems like forever without seeing any change, we may sometimes feel like the Heavens are brass and God doesn’t even hear our prayers. That’s the very time we need to depend on God’s mercies that are new every morning and to rest in His unchanging love…just for today.

 

Challenge for Today: Can you, just for today, rest in God’s unchanging love and believe that He is faithful and doesn’t make mistakes?

Author's Note

August 26, 2013:
How can I continue trusting God when I’m weary in body, mind and spirit?
Please “Share” this link to a new Precious Prodigal Blog Post
http://www.preciousprodigal.com/blog/13-08-26.html