R.E.S.T.

Refocus. Endure. Surrender. Trust.

These four words above are what I have been learning these past few months. I think we can all agree the past few months have been difficult. We have all been affected in some way by this pandemic. Someone put it this way: We are all in the same ocean, but we are not all in the same boat. This is a very true statement, we are all going through the same pandemic, but it has affected us all in different ways. Maybe for you, it was financially or physically, mentally, and even emotionally. Maybe through all of this, you felt completely alone and secluded. But it is through all of these struggles we can allow ourselves to grow. It is through a storm we can come out stronger in who we are. I know for me this extra time has made me stop and look at my own life and define how I see my self. I have had a lot of self-growth through this. It is through this time we had to get to know ourselves a little better. But some may have drowned themselves in social media, Netflix, and video games only to keep themselves from seeing all of the things that need to change in their own lives. I believe we can all use this time we had alone for good. To grow us and teach us more about ourselves and see things that need to change, and areas where we may need to refocus.

This brings us to the first word. Refocus. These past months I felt the need to be still and refocus on the things that matter. I had to take the time and ask myself "What is important in my life?" I realized I was getting caught up in the big things I thought was important, and I was missing out on some of the most important things in my life, even the small things. At times we get so focused on the dream or the destination that we forget the most important part, the journey. Because it is the journey that grows us into who we are. So, I encourage you to take the time to refocus your attention on what is most important in your life. Don't get so caught up in the future that you miss the present.

Endure. This is the second thing I have been learning. What does it mean to endure? During the past few months, it seemed to be a word I was hearing all the time. I looked up the definition to better understand what it meant. Here is what it said: "To hold out against. To bear without resistance or with patience. Suffer (something painful or difficult) patiently." I kept hearing the Lord say: "Endure patiently." I realized the only way I can endure this patiently is to put all my trust in God and know that He is in control. I needed to surrender my worries and cares to God and the worries of the world. We were never meant to carry the weight, the worries, and the fears of others on our shoulders. We just can't. We can't take it upon ourselves in our own strength to do so. We cannot handle it, physically, mentally, or emotionally. We have to let go and surrender it to God. Surrender. That is the third thing God has been teaching me, to surrender everything and everyone to Him. It is not easy, but when I decide to let go and give it to God, I have never felt freer and more at peace. It is the kind of peace I cannot describe. When I am in His presence all my worries and cares melt away in His loving presence. It is never a one-time thing, I have to choose every day to let go and trust God with every area of my life.

That brings us to my final word. Trust. If I truly trust God, then I can let go and know that He will take care of me and all His children. I know God has the world in His hands. I can rest because I trust Him with my life and those in it. I have to remind myself that I can let go of things and give them to God. I am not strong enough to carry the weight of my family or my friends, I have to trust that God is taking care of them and guiding them on the right pathway for their lives. I pray that I will continue to have a heart in pursuit of Christ. And God will continue guiding and directing me in the way I should go. I pray also that those around me and in my life will feel the love of Christ not just by what I say, but most importantly through my actions. I also pray all of this over each of you as well. God bless each of you and may you feel His love today!