Week Forty - Staring at the Ceiling

I hadn't thought much about it, but when the hairdresser said my scalp was red and asked if I was under extra stress, I began to think about all that has been on my plate for the past several weeks and the anticipation I felt with several more weeks ahead of me. I guess I am stressed. And then my body began to confirm it. Headaches, frozen shoulder, muscle aches, and exhaustion began taking over until my only recourse was to put a total stop on everything and just go to bed.

Staring at the ceiling, I tried not to think of the things not getting done. I tried to occupy my mind with nothing - and that's very hard for me. I prayed, rested, and wondered when and how I would get back on my feet. With the essential oils floating around the room and my heat pad's comfort, I knew I was exactly where the Lord wanted me - resting and waiting on Him.

In Psalm 130, David cries from out of the depths. He recognizes his own iniquities, the greatness of God's forgiveness, the hope of His Word, and God's great mercy. So, he settles in to wait. "I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning" (Vs 5-6).

Waiting has a divine purpose. It shifts our faith onto more solid ground and deepens our relationship with the Lord. It reminds us of our puniness and His power, our sinfulness and His perfection, our inability and His ability. It may feel uncomfortable; we may kick against it, but eventually we will come to the same place as the psalmist - watching with hope in His Word and complete faith in God's ability to redeem.

Exhaustion can place you in the depths. So can finances, family breakups, depression, and a host of life's events that take their toll. But God's mercy remains. His ability to redeem - to get you out of there - remains.

If you are in a holding pattern today, if life has you in its grip, or stress and exhaustion are taking over, stop straining and rest in God. Look for the beauty and security of God's truth. Place your hope solidly in the promises of His Word while you stare at the ceiling and wait with hopeful anticipation.