It was Thanksgiving this past week in the United States. Though I had plenty already for which to be thankful, I now have a personal operating system upgrade for which to be thankful as well 🙂 .
For those not familiar with this American holiday, it is almost bigger than Christmas here in the USA. For many people it means a 4-day weekend to gather with family and friends to give thanks and celebrate. I decided to take 3 days vacation as well, which gave me 9 days off work … can I get an AMEN 😉
By now you’re probably thinking … and the point is???
In the midst of my trying to “make good use of my time off”, my sweet husband says “I want to relax, not stress, during this time” and calmly leaves the room to do just that. I, however, was not so calm. His innocent words hit me like a sledge hammer. It was like I saw this “vacation report” pop up in my head that a responsible person would accomplish with their time off. I just knew, from past experience, that Jesus would provide me the strength to get from moment-to-moment to get’er done.
That my friends is Moment-By-Moment 1.0. and looks something like this:
Quite honestly, it wasn’t working well for me. What time I did try to rest (as a responsible person would do 🙂 ) I couldn’t relax because I was so consumed by using my vacation time effectively.
As I was quietly pondering, I heard my heart say “I want to relax too”.
Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that discipline and plans are a bad thing, or that I don’t appreciate the part of me that is so very adept at those very things. But my teeter totter was was WAY our of balance and Jesus used that very simple sentence from my husband to open the way for me to hear my own heart and set me free from a no-win scenario.
Being transparent, I honestly did not know what it looked like to relax without a “vacation report” weighing on me, but I have a wonderful guide and teacher for just such occasions.
Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord
with all your heart and mind
and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.
In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him,
and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 Amplified
“Downloading” Moment-By-Moment 2.0 required a lot of listening. Listening to both my heart and to Holy Spirit which rather than being stressful was actually extremely peaceful.
It may sound simple and silly – but I heard things like when I was actually tired and, rather than pushing on, I rested.
I discovered that Thanksgiving dinner is just as wonderful when eaten right out of the pots on the stove and sitting on the couch next to the person I love most, rather than from fancy serving dishes at a formal table.
I experienced the wonderful bliss of not needing anything else than exactly what I had and was experiencing in the moment.
I can confirm that naps and watching silly movies are not over-rated.
I learned that putting up and decorating a Christmas tree over multiple days rather than making it a draining marathon is like slowly opening a delectable gift that nourishes the soul.
As my “upgrade” was downloading this week, I remembered the moment below when I was on a “bucket list” vacation. It was like my Heavenly Father was reminding me – “you had no itinerary or plan during this trip and look what I provided …”
So I invite you to discover your own Moment-To-Moment 2.0 where God’s supply doesn’t just look like what you need to get’er done, but also, looks like the infinite possibilities in the moment.
To download you need to allow Your Heavenly Father to reveal your own heart to you knowing that, even without your plans and disciplines, He can provide exceedingly, abundantly above what you can dare to dream (Ephesians 3:20) in each moment. How? Because He is an infinite God with infinite supply (Colossians 1:16-17) that is ours to receive when we allow Him to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) from “all or none” thinking to knowing this love that surpasses knowledge and must be experienced —that you may be filled to the measure with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:19).
Now there’s a reason to hope!
Hope Without Limits 