HE LEADS US BESIDE.............................................................QUIET WATERS........... Psalm 23:2
This summer, I went to a conference that is still changing my life...
I had breakfast with the speaker one morning and he told me to "go home and lead a quiet life." Live in such a way that you remain groaning in this world and longing for God to use you to advance His Kingdom. His thoughts to me on that cool Colorado summer morning still linger for it was my beautiful God speaking through Him into my life. I've thought long and hard this fall what that would mean for me, and how my good God would want me to respond to HIM.
I Thes. 4:11 - Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, mind your own business, and work with your hands...i t's the verse that usually comes to my mind. Then, I think of Isaiah 30:15-18, verses that have meant so much to me:
And 32:17 "the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever."In repentance and rest is your salvation; in quietness
and trust is your Strength...for the Lord longs to be gracious to you. He rises to show you compassion for the Lord is a God of Justice."
Beauty comes not from "outward adornment" but from within. I Peter 3:4-5 says when we put our "hope in God" it makes us beautiful. That inner self. The unfading beauty of a quiet spirit.
God changed me and is changing me through this guy's teachings as He brought God to me. Big ways. Small ways. It seems to me that God even led me to change the way I live in my house going through each room to get rid of stuff I have held on to. I am so grateful to my 25-year-old son who spent about 5 days of his first vacation ever as a college graduate going through rooms in our home, helping his mom to get free of stuff. Barrett gave away and threw away about 25 garbage bags from clothing to toys to pots & pans. Things I had held on to since we first married 28 years ago. Things I thought I could "use" some day. Things I thought I could sell or give away but had not done so yet. Barrett graduates this next week with an MBA, and he could have spent his Thanksgiving vacation taking a "break," but he did more for his mom than I could imagine.
Also, I am so grateful to my beautiful God for new friends who are willing to ask us HARD QUESTIONS about the ways we relate---about what is really going on in the core of our hearts. I don't want to miss my God. Don't want to live the rest of my life missing my husband---I want to live the rest of my life as sweethearts. Don't want to "miss" my friends---I want to receive love from them how they are giving it to me NOT how I expect them to give it to me. All we have is "this" moment. I long to hear my God knocking on my door and open it up for HIM. Long to keep my eyes off the waves and fixed on the One who walks on water. Long to be used by my beautiful God in whatever ways He wants to use me with one or one hundred. It's not about my ambitions; it's about my First Love.
You know, I may be wrong, but I realize that I don't even walk into a room the same way anymore...it seems to me that I am hopefully more aware of what is going on in the core of my heart. I went to Target tonight for toothpaste. I needed to use the restroom first. As I moved toward the Ladies Room, I was thinking about how much God has changed me this year that so much of the time now, I no longer "live for" what people think of me. I was absorbed in some good thoughts talking to my precious God. As I went into one of the stalls, my peripheral vision stopped me dead in my tracks. I panicked for I realized the people surrounding me were not women---THEY WERE MEN. Yikes! I was in the men's bathroom. I did the quickest about face without uttering a word. Okay, I will have to be a little more cognizant in the future in my quiet life of how I enter bathrooms. Seriously, I wonder what it will look like for me to lead a quiet life? I so long to do the will of my beautiful God. I so long to love Him and be loved by Him in the deep places of my soul where He whispers and woos me. Our God is on the move. Joshua 3:10 - "This is how you will know the Living God is among you...your God will go ahead of you." A friend of my husband's says: "You cannot stay where you are and go with God." So very grateful today for God moving in my life, moving in your life, moving in the lives of those around us. I want to go with my good God. I don't want to stay where I am.
Lord, I lay my head on your lap to listen.
Let a woman learn
by listening quietly...
I Timothy 2:11
"I urge you that prayers be made for everyone that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." I Timothy 2:2
28 comments:
I laughed so hard about the bathroom! Ha!
Some of these scriptures you listed are my favorites.
Much love...
He will keep in perfect peace, Bev whose head is on His lap as He applies His thoughts to Bev's thoughts, because Bev trusts in God. (Taken from a Living Proof Live conference in Little Rock, AR about 2 years ago).
Love you much...praying for your life to be a quiet one and for Him to fill it with sound!
Holly
Bev,
It warms my heart every time I read your comments on my blog. Thankful Thursday is a meme that has been out there awhile. If you click on the "TT" button it will direct you to the host site so you can participate.
Also, my second "Know & Tell Friday" is up a little early if you want to participate.
HeHE
I have walked into the boys bathroom too at Outback when I did not pay attention to which were the Shelahs and which were the Blokes LOL!!
I love the scriptures. I will be quietly resting all weekend. I still am not better and my parents are coming to get my boys so I can sleep all weekend - yeah!
Love ya
Kim
I've had that happen with the bathroom before, only I actually went into the stall and didn't realize it until a man came in while I was in there...AACK! I waited until he left and then hightailed it out of there. Mortifying, I tell you!
I love this post about a quiet life. I have felt more and more that God is calling me to a quieter life and I am taking some steps to get myself there. Thanks for the encouragement as always!
Oh Bev....This is just huge! This is just a huge concept that I have been "going through" since 2003. I am really trying to change my lifestyle on so many levels. You mentioned all these things that I just "amen-ed" every time I read your next sentence. The scripture out of 1 Thess. I didn't copy into my comment but should have. It was just perfect for me right now. And I mean PERFECT!
I am doing my first ever "teaching" in January and part of the focus is simplifying and slowing down....Honey, God just used you to share some scripture and ideas that have already been brewing in my heart! Oh, I love Him.
Oh, I love you ,sweet friend. You make me smile. You make me laugh. You tender my heart. You make me rejoice for Jesus.
Have a wonderful weekend Bev. Get you a whole bunch of Jesus! I need too.
Love~
Fran
i love you Bev! I do! The Lord has used you so much to be an encouragement to me. I love your humility to even comment on my blog. Seriously. Also, I have a work situation that I wanted to ask your non bias opinion on if you get time...
my email is williams4676@bellsouth.net
I am so thankful for your love for our Jesus! It means so much!!
hi bev, i'm janel. jenny sent her bloggets over here. the quiet life is absolutely a desire/struggle i have. i hope you blog about this in the future. you talked about simplifing you life of things and coming up with 25 bags. i'm sure it was probably very freeing. this is what i want to do but break out in a sweat thinking about it. i'm serious (about the want and the sweat). i'm sure having your son to help was such a blessing.
your target episode is hilarious. i'm not trying to one-up you, just want you to know you are not the only one nor will we be the last. we attend a mega church and about 4weeks ago i walked (as my husband stood watching me, i could just scream) right in and quickly walk out of the main mens room after the last service. in God's unfathomable mercy it was empty. cute golf theme tho. :) i didn't get it until i saw the urinals. i can be incredible slow at times, i even amaze myself.
i so enjoyed your thoughts about having a quiet spirit. God Bless.
~janel
yes... absolutely....... wonderful words...
your words just warm my heart today.. I needed to hear this.. I can't stay where I am..sometimes I want to but I can't...
btw.. I love the picture.. where did you get it?
love you Bev...
I feel like you are a best friend to me..
Jane, I want so much to respond to your beautiful heart but am on my way to teach school this a.m. Will comment tonite to you sweet girl.
And to you Connie my new BFF and the rest of you---I'll be back tonight---with tears streaming down my face after reading your comments...I'll be back after I get the privilege of high school kids today....
L-O-V-E this! I'm praying some peace over you today ma'am. :)
Bev,
My sweet friend (I really feel like your friend). Thanks for participating in my Meme today, and I hope you can every Friday. Your answers are honest, real and authentic too. Your pour your heart out before men, and to your God. I love how you talk about Him with such affection. I hope that one day I can have a consistent QT like you have now.
Blessings, and have a great weekend...
Had a couple of typos in my last comment... I am sure you can figure it out though :)
Bev,
I do believe that God led you into the bathroom so that you could first experience simplicity and then a quiet and peaceful exit!
Seriously,
A recent blessing for me has been realizing that if someone can come to my home and not care about its contents then God is there.
My He live with you richly!!!
Lisa J
November 30, 2007 6:11 PM
Seriously, I wonder what it will look like for me to lead a quiet life?
I have to smile about these words because I remember saying them when we left a church years ago.
God is so good...He knows our personalities...the thought of being still and quiet scared the daylights out of me, but He brought me to peace in it. And then after a season, He set me to work again in His Kingdom...I believe the same will happen with you.
Enjoy the rest while you have it...I don't think God will leave you there long!
Blessings,
Sue
Matt 2:10
10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy!
NLT
Thank you, Bev!
THank you.
I hope you have had a good weekend thus far sweet Bev. I pray you are in a wonderful place with Jesus right now. I pray that His presence is near and you hear His voice speaking to you. I pray that His love is just all over you. Because with that love and His presence, life is just so peaceful that way! :) I'm speaking to myself on that one too.
Have a wonderful day in worship with Him tomorrow. You just always make me smile. You are the best encourager. I needed your comment tonight. Thank you darling one.
Blessings~
Fran
Hi Bev! I loved your words..."Live in such a way that you remain groaning in this world and longing for God to use you to advance His Kingdom." I keep trying to figure out what this really looks like. There have been some things on my heart that might lead me to live a quieter life, but I continue to doubt if that is where God is really leading. Maybe it's because I am doubting what God can do through me. Specifically in possibly homeschooling my children.
Thanks so much for your sweet comment tonight! I had to include you in my post, since you are one of the few people reading it! I love that God brought us together in this blog world. You encourage me so very much and I look forward to reading your words. Thanks for all that you do and all that you are to all of us in blogland!
May you have a blessed day of worship tomorrow with your family! I love you ~ Kristin
YOU WON my blog give away email me your address to williams4676@bellsouth.net!! YEAH!
something is happening with my blog...
MY HEADERS KEEP ON CHANGING AND I AM NOT DOING IT...where did this one come from??? It's a different HEADER a day. LOL ... every time i log on, it's different...strange!
our router has now crashed and our big computer CRASHED and the laptop is on its LAST LEG, oh dear...all because i opened up an E-MAIL from a blog snatcher and it downloaded THOUSANDS OF THINGS on my computer and it overloaded it within hours...it was OVER.
if you don't hear from me, you know why...
i just HAVE TO SAY THIS...we sang SHANE & SHANE's song this morning about Yearning and I wanted to come unglued in the back row. So beautiful for our Beautiful LORD!
Have a great Sabbath Sunday!!!!!!
Bev,
The bathroom experience--how funny for you to share that! I love your sweet words that come from God. I'm seeking and longing for that quiet inner woman, not wrought up with anxiety or fear (1 Peter 3:5-6).
I am thankful for you my friend! I so appreciate your precious comments. As times they come at just the right moment to encourage me. I plan to meditate on these scriptures more.
You're such a blessing to me!!
Blessings in Christ--
Good, good stuff! I enjoyed your posts. I see from your profile that you like Aaron Shust; I just discovered him this year and am enjoying his music immensely.
This past sunday at church we talked about silence, the silence of God and why it may be taking place in our life. One thing I took away was that we may not have the answers when HE is silent, but, we still have HIM! Is that enough for me? I think it is time for ME to be silent and just listen. Just trust. But, oh, how hard it is sometimes. I so long to pick everything back up and take matters into my own hands. Yet at the same time, I want HIS life for me.
Bev, this post so encouraged my heart. Thank you so, so much for writing what the Lord puts on your heart. You are so good about that. I feel like all I do now is update my blog about my life and not my heart condition! You encourage me to do so, though.
Thank you for all the prayers and encouragement about the whole facebook/email thing, I greatly appreciate them. And, thank you too for the school prayers for this last week. I could def. use them. My work load is crazy!
Much love to you tonight!
Linds
Stillness, quiet, peace...oh how I long for that!
That is why I try to get up around 5 each morning (doesn't always happen, I assure you) before the kids are up (husband already gone to workout by then). That time is truly my rest time with God. I miss it when I don't do it. Like this morning. I'll try to "catch" a few moments of stillness today, but it's never the same.
Thank you for your sweet, sweet words on my blog, Bev. Looking forward to spending time with you on this adventure called life as a child of God!
Susan
Hello! Thank you for leaving a comment at my place. I am so sorry your daughter has arthritis of the spine. Does she still have it? I am blessed that I don't have it in my back!!!! I cannot imagine the pain she suffered. I've had arthritis since I was ten years old. I am now 43! I just had both hips replaced this summer and am now mobile again!
I truly feel blessed because if it wasn't for my salvation I know I would not be able to make it day by day. God sees me through each and every moment and teaches me many things I need to learn. And if I didn't learn them the first time, well....! I have learned lately to let go and let Him be in charge. He knows what's best for me!
I'm leaving tomorrow, but when I get back I want to read your blog some more and get better acquainted. I love meeting so many new friends, especially christian friends that we can share our burdens and prayer requests.
Do you mind if I ask you for prayer? I am learning to walk again after being on crutches for almost two years. I call myself a weeble! Weebles wobble but they don't fall down ;o) Please pray for strength in my legs and in my lower back. Thank you so much!
I hope the rest of your week goes well and try to stay out of the men's restroom!! LOL!
In His Love, Amy
Yes, ma'am, He leads. Even if those waters come from the flush of the urinal...LOL
This was a great post, Bev. :)
Lisa
"you cannot stay where you are and go with God"
...wow have i learned that this last year!!! thanks for this!! enjoying catching up on your blog! i have missed reading! you bless my heart with every word! :)
Post a Comment