Expect Pockets of Peace and Respites of Rest - a Five Minute Friday post.

I am still leaning in to this season of dwelling... of resting... of simply being with Him and being still... of less 'swinging' and more 'hammocking'! 

So I was a little surprised when I felt Him beckon me to this chair, in front of this screen! But since I am here, let's play!

This is a Five Minute Friday post, which simply means I set a timer and free write for five minutes flat on the one word prompt of: EXPECT.

{GO}

I see the word prompt, and I smile.  
   Actually laugh a little under my breath. 

I could go a thousand different directions with "Expect" (or the variations of Expecting, Expectations, etc.) but even with all this resting, I am tired y'all! 

And so I slow... I close my eyes and breathe in deep.

I focus in on what He wants (which I suppose is really fruit of this 'unproductive' waiting season) and I exhale fully... ready to write...

Expect.
  It's such a weighty word, isn't it?  


You can almost see the ties that bind, pulled tight under the strain... It can feel either pregnant with Promise (ya see what I did there?) or Bossy with burdens!

And yet again, I can hear Him whisper,
"The choice is yours."

You see we can bow down under the pressure of people pleasing and striving to meet others' expectations... or we can lay down in rest, knowing full well who we are and how He loves us... trusting that what HE expects of us is never heavy or ill-fitting!

He says it Himself:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matt 11:28-30 The Message

You see, somehow, HIS expectations of us are always easier... better... (and usually WAY more fun!)  

It's not that there is not work to be done... it's not that He ever promises us an easy life... free of trials and tribulations! (He said something Himself about this in John 16:33!) 

No, He tells us straight out that we will come upon hard times, and that there is a harvest of work out there to be done... but He also reminds us that He is not a cruel task master... (That is someone else, my friend!)  He said that we NO LONGER call Him Master, but we call Him Friend.

Listen - there is a time, when we first become free and when we don't really know what to expect, that we must learn obedience and submission and we must become bond-servants of Christ.  Not slaves... but servants!  

However, we are called to come further... to lean in deeper... to learn more of His ways and to let Him love us... we are called to go from slave (to the enemy and our own souls) to bond-servant (to Christ) to friend of God!

That's a pretty great path He asks us to walk, sweet reader!

Lay down the expectations that are unrealistic and that lead to heavy burdens and bondage... Stop listening to the voices of the enemy that tell you how you'll never make it... how you're not good enough or smart enough or (fill-in-the-blank) enough.  

Instead, tune your heart and spirit to the Voice of the One who sings songs of Love over you and whose only expectation of you is that you say Yes to His love... to His grace... to following His lead!  

His Leading may take you up Steep Mountains and Across some Wilderness Lands, but it also always includes Pockets of Peace and Respites of Rest!

And sometimes... a slow walk beside the shore, too!

{STOP}


I am off to walk along the shore with Jesus (and my Honey!) for a few days and I can. not. wait.  

Praying for you, dear ones, to lean in and ask Him what HIS expectations are of you in this season or circumstance. Praying for you to enter in to His Rest and learn to live freely and lightly! 

(I'm praying that for us all!)

Linking up with Kate Motaung and the #fmfparty Community today.  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: "EXPECT"

The FMF lowdown: The gathering happens on Twitter on Thursday nights & then we write our hearts out & hit publish all over the interwebs on Thursday & Friday (& sometimes on Tuesdays!) It's where we encourage & uplift... where we share prayer requests & praise reports... where we talk food & friends & we find support & kindred hearts. It's where we are reminded that life is good & God is good & we're not alone... & then we all write for five minutes flat, a flash mob of wordsmiths letting our hearts & our fingers do the talking tapping & we hit publish before we can second guess it all away. We'd love to have you join us!

I'm also linking up with the lovely writer communities linked below:

#FreshMarketFriday...

Kelly Balarie for #RaRaLinkUp

LORI SCHUMAKER FOR #MOMENTSOFHOPE

Barbie Swihart for #Glimpsesofhisbeauty

Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory

Holly Barrett for #TestimonyTuesday

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE LORD SPOKE TO ME AND THROUGH ME REGARDING SABBATH REST AND I TURNED MY 31 DAYS SERIES INTO AN EBOOK ON AMAZON.  IF YOU ARE FINDING YOURSELF IN NEED OF REST (WHICH --WHO ISN'T, REALLY?) CHECK OUT THIS SHORT, DAILY DEVOTIONAL  31 DAYS OF RESTING IN GOD ...IT'S EASIER/HARDER THAN YOU THINK!  

YOU CAN PURCHASE IT BY CLICKING HERE OR GRABBING IT FROM THE SIDE BAR TO THE RIGHT IF REST IS SOMETHING YOU KNOW YOU NEED, BUT JUST KEEP PUTTING OFF!