As I continue my study of Bonnie Gray's Book, Finding Spiritual Whitespace, I appreciated this week's chapter and the thought of listening for God in the everyday times of our lives, to hear just one word from Him.
Inhale ...
"Jesus, Son of David"
Exhale ...
"Have mercy on me."
It's the latest lesson I have been learning in this Season of Restoration. Mercy. Sometimes I feel like I should be swimming in Mercy, I've asked for it so often recently. But this Season has wrung a NEW cry out of my heart that hadn't been expressed before.
My Doctor, and just about every website I've checked into, says that Fibromyalgia doesn't respond to many treatments except for one: Exercise. So I have been searching through You-tube Yoga Videos, trying to find a new and improved program to jumpstart my pain relief.
Over the years, I have "Sweated With The Oldies," "Walked Away the Pounds," and even bought my own copy of Stormie Omartian's '80's workout (remember neon-legwarmers?) Just ask my Homeschooling Friends, we've run the gamut of pre-recorded Health & Fitness programs. But my favorite workout was always an old-fashion Hike in the Woods. My own goal is to get back to that ability. I've dreamed about the day that I can do that again, and it's not coming fast enough to satisfy my own agenda.
Hence the push to "push myself."
I found a gentle yoga workout, designed specifically for those with RA and joint pain, several months ago. And I've been faithfully using it most every day. But last week I grew impatient when the results seemed so slow in showing themselves. So I moved up to a more difficult workout. And there was not much sleep for 3 nights in a row. The classic sign that my body was not happy with something.
In that night time silence, where I'm learning to quiet my thoughts, I heard Jesus whisper to me,
The pace belongs to me. I hold the number of your days.
So, I returned to the gentle yoga workout, and found myself inhaling and exhaling along with the routine, but new words were breathing their way into my soul:
Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.
If Jesus had mercy on the blind man who voiced that cry in Matthew 18, then surely there is MERCY waiting for us today also. MERCY: asking that the penalty Justice demands be held back. Fibromyalgia demands a painful journey. Rheumatoid Arthritis demands an immune system that is ruined. And our chaotic world demands every moment of our time.
Jesus came to bring us a different path: MERCY.
Holding back the pain,
Holding back the ruin,
& Holding back the chaos.
I want to trust His Timing, His Pacing. But I know that all too soon, I'll become impatient again. So daily I stretch and breathe, and find,
it is HIS breath in me now, stretching my SOUL, even as the pull on my muscles and joints moves to HIS rhythm.
I am linking up today over at The Faith Barista for her #OneWordCoffee series, where my word for this week is #Mercy.
Hi Bettie,
ReplyDeleteOh I so hope you can get back to hiking too! But your courage and determination to continue working out and practicing yoga are inspiring. I'm so glad you're sharing your experiences with us since you are such a lovely picture of BRAVE in meeting the challenges in your path. Carry on, friend! xo
Thank you for your kind words, Valerie! I certainly haven't pictured myself as BRAVE through this process, but I want to be! I will think of your words as I carry on, and pray for you too my friend! --Hugs!
DeleteIt's hard to stick with an exercise program, especially if we don't see results. So bravo for you, Bettie! I love the lesson God taught you in it - that the pace belongs to Him. And this! "It is HIS breath in me now, stretching my SOUL, even as the pull on my muscles and joints moves to HIS rhythm." Beautiful! Blessings and hugs to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you Trudy! What an encouragement to me to think that it's a good thing to stick with any exercise program, even if it feels like its less than what I think it should be! Isn't God good to bring GOOD WORDS to us? --Hugs & Blessings to you today!
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