Abide.

Good morning, afternoon, and evening,

These past few weeks, so many thoughts have crossed my mind about this blog.

But the one word that I have heard multiple times since Ash Wednesday is STRIVE.

The Lord has constantly reminded me not to focus on striving. I feel I have heard this word almost every month since February and even heard it during this morning’s Lectio 365 devotional.

So what is this month’s message?

I am not entirely sure, but as always, I will share a story.

Every year I usually host game nights or some type of gathering for people to share, eat, have fun, and get away from the chaos.

This past Friday would have been our end-of-summer event, which would have been a picnic, but you know what happened. We canceled the day before.

Yes, we did.

Earlier that week, I had running thoughts of wanting to cancel because it had been a long month, and every weekend was filled with something. But we usually never cancel, so I did not push it.

Then my partner-in-hosting mentioned her same need for REST.

And so, without doing the usual back and forth and choosing to stay on course,

I sent the text without further discussion and canceled our wonderfully planned event.

Now, we both felt kind of bad and were like, "Oh my, we don’t cancel..." but let me share a few things that happened.

We both slept amazingly that night.

I did not fill my Friday with busy things but instead spent time with my mom and RESTED.

And the most important thing is that someone I love dearly is always telling me about my cup.

I did not have an empty cup because I did not wait until it was empty to cancel; therefore, I was able to start being restored.

Now…I want you...yes, you...to read this very carefully because the rest of this is for the people always running on empty. Yes, you may enjoy the things you plan or attend (or not), but we have a Spirit of self-control.

This means saying yes to your own temple to find REST and RESTORATION way before burnout.

Let me ask you something. When you read about Jesus, what do you see about Him? Like, really take the time to put yourself in the pages.

You know what I see?

Jesus consistently made an intentional choice to get away from everything.

Jesus did not always allow Himself to be consumed by people and things.

Jesus sought solitude for REST and time with the Father.

Jesus did not heal or help everyone He came in contact with.

Yea…pay attention to that.

God in the flesh did not always heal, talk with, encourage, attend events, or find Himself consumed by all things all the time.

Not because He did not care, but because His Father, our Father, has commanded us to REST.

If Jesus knew His position as Son and Savior.

Why do we struggle to know our positions as sons and daughters?

We are not God.

We are not the Savior.

We are His children.

We cannot do everything, nor did He ever ask us to.

He does, however, state throughout the Word about REST.

He does remind us that we are to abide in Him and Him in us or what?

Without Him we will bear no good fruit.

Our position is not to be busy or to be involved in all things all the time.

Our position is to be His children and guess what?

Sometimes we need REST, and it should happen before we have exhausted all that He has given for that day, that month, that year.

In order to abide means to actually stop and make space to be filled by the Spirit and not everything else.

I can’t abide in my job.

I can’t abide in my events.

I can’t abide in my friends.

I can’t abide in my food.

I can’t abide in my gym.

I can’t abide in Lee.

And while these are not bad things, they are not the ultimate source of restoration and fulfillment.

So I ask you, how are you going to abide in August?

Will you be striving for work and other plans?

Or will you make space to connect and abide in Jesus?

John 15:4–5

“Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

“I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing.”