THE JOYFUL LIFE
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
    • HEART
      • Faith
      • Bible Study & Theology
      • Marriage
      • Motherhood
        • Motherhood (ALL)
        • Parenting Toddlers to Tweens
        • Parenting Teens
        • Parenting Adult Children
        • Raising Boys
        • Raising Girls
      • Divorce | Single Motherhood | Blended Families
      • Adoption & Foster Care
      • Infertility & Miscarriage
      • Friendship & Community
    • HOME
      • DIY Projects
      • Family & Home Management
      • Fun for Kids
      • Homemaking
      • Homeschool
      • Hospitality
      • Recipes
    • LIFE ISSUES
      • Anxiety
      • Difficult Family Dynamics
      • Emotions
      • Health
      • Identity & Purpose
      • Loss | Suffering | Grief
      • Work & Life Balance
    • REVIEWS
      • App Reviews
      • Book Reviews
      • Product Reviews
    • FEATURED INTERVIEWS
    • SEASONAL & HOLIDAY
  • Daily Devotions
  • About
    • Meet the Team
      • Management & Staff
      • Editorial Team
      • Blog Contributors
      • Devotion Writers
      • Photographers
    • Statement of Faith
  • Work with Us
    • Write for Us
    • Advertise
    • Employment
  • Contact
  • account
The Joyful Life News
Sign up to receive Joyful Life Community news, weekly blog post updates, shop announcements, and more.
A QUARTERLY COLLECTIBLE | Heart & Home Inspiration
THE JOYFUL LIFE
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Blog
    • HEART
      • Faith
      • Bible Study & Theology
      • Marriage
      • Motherhood
        • Motherhood (ALL)
        • Parenting Toddlers to Tweens
        • Parenting Teens
        • Parenting Adult Children
        • Raising Boys
        • Raising Girls
      • Divorce | Single Motherhood | Blended Families
      • Adoption & Foster Care
      • Infertility & Miscarriage
      • Friendship & Community
    • HOME
      • DIY Projects
      • Family & Home Management
      • Fun for Kids
      • Homemaking
      • Homeschool
      • Hospitality
      • Recipes
    • LIFE ISSUES
      • Anxiety
      • Difficult Family Dynamics
      • Emotions
      • Health
      • Identity & Purpose
      • Loss | Suffering | Grief
      • Work & Life Balance
    • REVIEWS
      • App Reviews
      • Book Reviews
      • Product Reviews
    • FEATURED INTERVIEWS
    • SEASONAL & HOLIDAY
  • Daily Devotions
  • About
    • Meet the Team
      • Management & Staff
      • Editorial Team
      • Blog Contributors
      • Devotion Writers
      • Photographers
    • Statement of Faith
  • Work with Us
    • Write for Us
    • Advertise
    • Employment
  • Contact
  • account
0

Wholly at Rest in the Lord

  • Nicole O'Meara
  • July 6, 2022
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

I wipe yet another tear and adjust the wet corner of my pillow away from my face. In bed, nauseous and depressed, I’m unable to read, watch, eat, or distract myself at all. I wonder: Why oh why is it so hard to be made still?

I feel unproductive and useless. Voicing my frustration, my husband lovingly rebukes me. “You are not useless because your body needs to rest.”

He’s right.

And then I stumble across this, written by Elisabeth Elliot to her Jim, speaking of the anguish of being apart and in love.

“I find that I welcome any activity … not for the thing itself but merely for an impatient, undisciplined desire to kill time. This bespeaks a soul not wholly at rest in the Lord. … but gently, quietly, the Lord leads be beside clear waters, MAKES me to lie down.”

I wonder, am I truly resting while my body hits ‘pause’ or am I fighting the real rest my soul needs?

Not every illness is meant to slow us down to hear the still small voice of God, but this time, when nothing could distract me, God whispered His love by repeating His claim on me. “You are Mine. I love you because I chose to. In this bed you do not have to do a thing. Simply let Me be with you.”

I’ve spent decades trying to earn acceptance from God. That is, until my body broke and my ability to ‘earn’ anything was, for all practical purposes, taken away. In the quiet isolation of my bedroom, God nurtured my heart—”I do not love you because of what you do. Neither do I not love you because of what you do not do. I love you because it delights Me to do so.”

In the moments after my husband’s wise rebuke, my heart heard God’s whisper and believed Him. I let go of a piece of my identity, the piece that was self-sufficient, and accepted an identity chosen by God: His child.

When we put away the frenzy and angst of earning a love that has already been given, we find true rest. Resting in His unconditional love, a love that feels too good to be real, is the rest we need most.

Let us not be quick to distract ourselves from the Whisperer. When He takes us through seasons of stillness, let us open our ears and our hearts to His claim on us, to His love.

0
0
0
0
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print
Nicole O'Meara

Nicole O’Meara writes for Christian women living with rare and chronic diseases, encouraging them to endure with hope. She is a lover of coffee, chocolate and books. She lives in Northern California with her three children, two brought home through adoption, her coffee-roasting husband, and one sweet Aussiedoodle. You can find Nicole on Instagram, on Facebook, and on her blog.

3 comments
  1. Nikki S.White says:
    July 6, 2022 at 7:13 am

    Exactly what I needed to hear today, Nicole! It’s a message the Spirit keeps whispering everywhere I turn.

    Thank you sister!

    Reply
    1. Nicole O'Meara says:
      July 6, 2022 at 1:48 pm

      I’m so glad you are listening for His whisper!

      Reply
  2. Linda Juarez Smith says:
    July 6, 2022 at 8:02 am

    It is so hard to be at rest when we are taught we are to be “doing something”. But it I so peaceful when we accept we are exactly where God wants us to be.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

TRENDING POSTS
  • Good manners 1
    We Don’t Talk That Way in Our House: Teaching Kids Good Manners
  • How do i forgive myself 2
    How Do I Forgive Myself for My Mistakes in Parenting in Light of Grace?
  • Personal bible study 3
    How to Transform Your Personal Bible Study Time With An Easy Perspective Shift
  • Valentine’s day with kids 4
    6 Unique Ideas for Celebrating Valentine’s Day With Kids
  • Prayers for a broken marriage 5
    5 Prayers for a Broken Marriage: Praying Scripture For a Hurting Heart
RSS Daily Devotions
  • Find Your Way Free March 23, 2023
  • Seeing Your Samaria March 22, 2023
  • One Day, It Will Be March 21, 2023
  • Called Beyond My Ability March 20, 2023
  • Looking in the Right Place March 17, 2023
VISIT OUR SHOP
  • Selah Moments Digital Study Guide | Joyful Life Magazine SELAH MOMENTS | Digital Bible Study
    Rated 5.00 out of 5
    $12.00
  • Footsteps of Faith Digital Study Guide | The Joyful Life FOOTSTEPS OF FAITH | Digital Bible Study $12.00
  • Issue 08 | REDEEM — Digital Version $14.00
The Secret Society of Salzburg Book Cover
The Joyful Life News
Sign up to receive Joyful Life Community news, weekly blog post updates, shop announcements, and exclusive offers for our subscribers.
Follow Us on Instagram

AMAZON AFFILIATE PROGRAM DISCLAIMER | The Joyful Life is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Every purchase you make through our Amazon affiliate links supports our ministry at no additional cost to you.

  • BLOG
  • SHOP
  • WRITE FOR US
  • EMPLOYMENT
  • ADVERTISE
  • Terms
  • ACCOUNT
  • Contact
© 2022 The Joyful Life Co., LLC

Input your search keywords and press Enter.