Tuesday Travels

 

I guess, from that title, you may have thought this post was going to be about traveling.  It's not.  Well - not about vacation-type traveling.

It's about traveling but from another perspective.

It's about traveling from yourself to God. 

As so often happens, I read my Proverbs 31 daily morning devotional and started to think.  (Which if, by the way, you are not following on facebook you should.) I got to the end where the prayer was posted, and it just struck me again and will full force:

"Father, I have been holding on to so much. I cannot carry the weight of this worry any longer. I’ve been flailing and trying to fight this battle by using my strength. Will You take the weight off my heart, mind and body? Will You fight for me as I sit still and fall into Your arms? You are my salvation, and You offer me deep, abiding rest. Thank You for the grace You give; I trust You to guide and grow me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen."

I have been holding on to so much.  Finances, schedules, time management, learning curves, relationships.  I just can't carry it any longer.  How will I pay my bills?  How will I find the time I need to learn new things, grow my business, go back to school, be a good Mom and relationship partner?  How will I ever be enough?

I just don't want to carry this burden (or these burdens) anymore.

Myself, like so many of you want the weight removed from our shoulders.  From our HEARTS, our MINDS, and our BODIES.  Stress, and the (emotional) weight that accompanies it, are so destructive to our physical bods.  It's time we learn (speaking of learning curves) to sit still and let Jesus fight for us.

If we truly believe Jesus is our salvation and offers us REST and GRACE, why do we INSIST on carrying our own burdens.  Why is is to hard to let Him take them or fight our battles for us?

Today's Author posed several questions as to why we don't let the Lord take our burdens.  I found I resonated with some of them.  Read through her questions below.  Do you resonate with any of these when you are carrying weights to great to shoulder alone?

Is it to strengthen me supernaturally so I can take ground where I have loosened my hold?

Is it to storm my enemies and knock them down in one motion?

Is it to wait for me to say the right prayer or scripture and believe just a bit more for my faith to come to life and be “useful” in my healing?

Or is it possible God is calling me to something radically different? What if God’s will looks something like this: “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14)?

How MANY times I have had to stop myself, in the middle of a prayer, and say, "God, I know there is no magic formula for praying.  Yet, I keep praying as if I'm looking for the magic words you are looking for - the right way I should be feeling, the faith I should be possessing.  Help me to truly believe there isn't a magic prayer formula out there that will magically make you answer my prayers."

That one question alone struck me because it let me know I'm not the only one who grapples with that issue!

I love how the Author wrapped things up today, so I'm just going to copy and paste and pose the same words and thoughts to you.  What are we doing to ourselves?  None of us are perfect.  I yell at those I love; I judge people (when I am certainly the least of God's creations); I don't make perfect life decisions; I am not cute and cuddly; I am negative by nature; and I struggle with empathy (lord I wish I had this precious, precious gift from the Lord).  These words speak to me, and I hope they speak to you today as well if you are carrying more than you were built to carry.

I love you friends.  Let's wrap our arms around each other; lift each other up; and move an inch closer to Glory today.

Be still. Stop the swirling thoughts and expectations of where you should be and rest in where you are. Here is now, and God is present here. The gift of His grace overpowers any shame, guilt and disappointment we may feel about ourselves. And His grace extends to His command for us to release the effort and allow Him to do His deep, restorative healing in our hearts as He fights for us. In stillness lies our strength.

Take the burden off your shoulders and relax into the Lord. He is the One who will fight your battles. Our God has our best in mind, for our good and His glory. His love is making a way in our lives because the battle belongs to the Lord.

Sometimes, the best thing we can do is be still with this truth and believe. We can turn over our trust to His capable ways, lift off what weighs us down and let Him do the heavy lifting.

The Queen of Soul Returns to ATL!

After selling out her show at The Fox Theatre in March 2012, Aretha Franklin is coming back to Atlanta to do it again on Saturday, September 21^st at 8 pm!

Tickets start at $59 and can be purchased at www.FoxAtlTix.com, by calling 855-ATL-TIXX or by visiting the Fox Theatre Box Office.

Known around the world by her first name, and as the undisputed, reigning "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin is peerless.  She is one of the most influential and important voices in the history of American music, with a repertoire that spans pop, soul, jazz, rock, blues, and gospel.  In 2009, Franklin was named the #1 Vocalist of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine.  With her ever-distinctive, soulful, to-the-bone vocal style, she has graced music charts for nearly five decades and her 'live' performances have touched the hearts of tens of millions since she began her musical journey in Detroit as a singing child prodigy. It is her rich legacy of recordings that are a testament to the power, majesty and genius of this one-of-a-kind artist of the first order. 

Aretha Franklin has earned countless international and national awards as well as accolades and global recognition on an unprecedented scale.  She is a 2005 recipient of a Presidential Medal of Freedom honor (the U.S.A.'s highest civilian honor), presented by President George W. Bush, and in 1999, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts, presented by President Bill Clinton.  She sang at the historic inauguration of President Barack Obama (2009) and at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton (1993). She also performed at the inaugural gala for President Jimmy Carter (1997).  In 1968, she sang at the funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr.  She is the recipient of a Kennedy Center Honor; 18 GRAMMY® Awards, including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for eight consecutive years, a GRAMMY Legend Award, and a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award; five American Music Awards; and four NAACP Image Awards.

In 1987, she was the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 1979, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, Franklin was honored at the Annual United Negro College Fund Evening of Stars and was presented with UNCF's Award of Excellence.  She was named 2008 MusiCares® Person of the Year by the Recording Academy, and she was presented with the prestigious NAACP Vanguard Award.  In 2010, she was inducted into the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame at the Apollo Theater.  In April 2012, Franklin received the TV Land Music Icon Award.  In August 2012, Franklin was inducted into the Gospel Music Associations’ Hall of Fame. To date, she has received 12 Honorary Doctorate Degrees.