Ah yes... it must be Thursday night... where my favorite place to be is at the FMFParty Twitter party with a crazy amazing bunch of writers. Well - maybe not my FAVORITE place - but it's right at the top! Tonight however, cuddling with my girlie won out. Trust me - you Mama's of littles... even (maybe especially) when they are taller - you won't want to miss a snuggle time! Drink it in... yes - REST in it!
First - the fine print if you don't know what FMF is! Five Minute Fridays are hosted by Lisa Jo Baker. It is open to anyone, so to learn more about it - and to jump in yourself (the more the merrier!) or just to find a linky to see what everyone is writing about today - click HERE! The idea is to simply write... for Five Minutes flat... no editing, no deep thinking - or at least REthinking, no spell check - just write! Let it flow! We all write using a prompt that Lisa posts at one minute past midnight Friday morning (EST.) I'm loving the community of amazing bloggers and the creativity that flows from these magical Five Minutes!
So - here goes: Five Minute Friday - REST...
{GO}
It just takes a split second and she is mid-sentence and trying to avoid my eyes and I can tell that her words say one thing but she is softer than she wants to let on and there is a bruise there on the surface that she is protecting. She'd rather I didn't see... didn't hear the hurt in her inflection or see the slight quiver of her chin.
She's all of nearly grown and she's 'Whatever' and it's all 'Fine'. I can tell that she mostly believes it... at least she really WANTS to believe it... and I glimpse a hint of Too Heavy.
She's tired... and instead of running... we choose to slow... to silence... to breathe.
We can get so busy running around in the bossy part of our daily lives that sometimes we can talk ourselves into believing that the healing is complete... that the hurt is gone... that denial will make it go away... but that is not what God asks of us!
No - that may be easier... but that is not what He calls us to!
Instead - He calls us to live Real and be Honest and stretch Transparent and lean IN... He calls us to not just know, but to BELIEVE... He calls us to a life of faith and expecting and He tells us what our work is to be. He tells us our work is to enter into His Rest.
"For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest..."
(Hebrews 4:3a in The Amplified Bible)
Some days it really does feel like work... it's work to lean in, to rely on and trust and to gather up our fears and doubts and fling them loose... just let. them. go.
It's work to let Him - let 'them' (whoever they may be for you) in close enough to tenderly touch the bruised places... to whisper warm in the ear, and wrap arms and hearts and words flowing softly around wounds and disappointments and in the safety of being held... of being at Rest - we offer Grace.
Yes - some days it is work... some days we just can't do it on our own and we need a hug and some chocolate and maybe a good cry... we need a distraction and a new vision and more than a little bit of His Love gushing out.
{STOP}
It's the days when we are bone-weary tired, and emotionally-spent exhausted, that we need to work all the more! For it's in His Rest where we find Hope and Refreshing and a reminder that He's got this. He's All In... not holding any good thing back from us and He's got this.
So I was sad to miss the #FMFParty tonight - but I was in need of a little cuddle time with my nearly grown girlie... a little reconnecting time - with her - with Him... just a list growing on and on, counting gifts... and my how they just keep coming!
#952. FNLs with my girlie
#953 Talking through hurts and seeing how God works all things together (anyway!)
#954 A new Jar of Nutella... breaking that golden seal together
#955 Discernment to see through what is not spoken!
#956 A break to write and do homework and then...
#957 ...just one more episode, all cuddled up on the couch!
Resisting the urge to add photo's...
Speak Life, Be Love, Shine On!
~Karrilee~
Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts!
Click here to read what others have to say about "REST":
That's great that you've got your priorities in line! Snuggle that girl!!! My oldest is 8 and dying to be a "tween"...ugh. I know I don't snuggle and slow and cuddle enough. Thanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeletenearly grown girlies... and guys... they are amazing and great, aren't they.
ReplyDeletethanks for the example of setting aside your plans to be their for your girl.
Dear Karrillee
ReplyDeleteI cannot agree more, but our Pappa God knows just as well as us that without His abiding love and abiding grace we cannot rest in Him or lean into Him. I think that is why He tells us to do just two things; come to Him and abide in Him while He works the rest in and through us. Remember, dear friend, that weeping might last for the night but joy comes in the morning with a heart washed clean from so much sorrow!!!
Much love
Mia
Yes so true God wants us to run to Him and deal with the hurts not just try and cover them or ignore them. What a great mama you are to help her run to God and rest in Him. Yes a good cry is sometimes needed! And some chocolate!!
ReplyDeletethis made me teary at how you tenderly chose to be with your nearly grown girl, and to nurture and love her...what a model of what our Abba Father does for us...Great job, Karrilee :)
ReplyDeleteAs someone with a 2 year old, I know that these days of snuggles will soon be gone, so I try to cherish them. I am glad you got to spend time with your girl. I love your writing and the name of your blog.
ReplyDeleteAnd I just saw that you use SparkPeople.com! I used that site for years and loved it. I need to start using it again. I can't quite seem to get to my goal weight. Blah!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, Karrillee!
ReplyDeleteThe other night my kiddos (13 and 22!)cuddled with me AT THE SAME TIME! True bliss. :)
This is so beautiful and so true. I'm so glad you made the choice to be there for her.
ReplyDeleteThis was gorgeous, Karrilee, I felt like I was running right there with you, but then I stopped, had an asthma attack, and you kept going. There was a girl to comfort and cuddle. I would run for that too:)
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of our Father as pursuer, He wants our hearts and pursues us, just as you did with your child. And its only in Him that we may find rest and healing!
ReplyDeleteOur girls grow up so fast. It's so important to stop and take that time with them. I've already raised one and my last girl turns 13 in a few months.
ReplyDelete