Sometimes, ya just need a cup of comfort... For me that’s tea ☕️ ( but coffee lover too😋)
Food or drinks can take us back to a time of joy or bring us into a brief period of restoration. Tea since childhood, was my rescuer, my cozy blanket and healing tonic. I was given hot black tea or sometimes coffee during an asthma flare and it served to help tame the beast. 🧟♀️ ( it wasn't a replacement for my asthma meds ). It didn’t take long for my association of tea to feeling more relaxed, and comforted. (my love of coffee came later in adulthood 😄) I associated tea with rescuing, comfort...
We're going to need [ 'The' comfort ], like tea, but way more powerful throughout our lives, and especially [life in the now]. Comfort, a reprieve, a rest, a refocus,, a relearning, from the difficult, old ways of living, the tragic and the unknown...
[ It's not easy to adjust our vision, it really can feel like this! :() ]
God is (and has been my) the ultimate comfort place! Spending time in God allows me to adjust my eye sight from my earthly struggles to the hope of eternal living. God constantly reminds me to put my hope in HIM not earthly circumstances or people!
"Why are you cast down O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God." ~ Psalm 42:11
His WORD is rich, and more nutritious than anything we can eat!
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." ~James 1:2-4
[ Our Faith is more precious than Gold! It is everything to God!! ]
No one said it was easy, it takes consistent effort to block out our own beliefs and pour in God's truths. It simply can't be done without getting and staying connected to Him, and putting his Word into our hearts and our minds.
My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness. ~2 Corinthians 12:9
We are NOT sufficient on our OWN, it takes our weakness for God to work within us to create Strength.
[ If we let it, life can suck the life from us - much like this poor guy did ]
We must remember, that life is a revolving door and we are either going into a trial or coming out of one! But there's hope, there's a light that's not at the end but all throughout our tunnel and that light is our Lord God! You see distractions are fin in themselves, but alone they can't alleviate our fears, our suffering...
When we put on the full armor of God, we gain an understanding that our ( why's ) may not get answered, but we rest in Him anyway. The deep seeded comfort we receive from God can't be retrieved from this world, only God can fill that space. Yes, his grace will have to be sufficient for us. ( 2 Cor 12 ), whether we accept it or not.
[ Thorns are painful, often scary but sometimes remain with us...But God!...Keep the Faith! - Remember, Satan want's us to give up, he's right there waiting to strike! ]
Remember Paul and the thorn beneath his skin? Yeah, the Lord wouldn't remove Paul's pain and suffering for reasons Paul didn't understand, nor will he remove ours, until he's ready... So often God give me the comfort and guidance I need, but many times he's silent, and I have too just rest in this silence knowing he's still right there with me. I don't like those silent times, but God's not looking for my approval, he's looking for my growth, my Faith, my steadfastness - brought on by the testing of my faith!
[ Oh look, life in the 'now'! ]
I'd rather accept that than spin out of control ( though God is here to catch us if we do! ) - this world already does that, but we have to remain diligent, this world doesn't have our best interest at heart but God does. Let's keep pressing on in Faith, that's God's requirement, not our understanding.
I began this post talking about drinking tea and the comfort it provides, but this talk here, that's the real tea! Drink it in and allow it to soothe your spirit and mind. This tea must be consumed daily, as often as necessary for it's miraculous effects, and this tea cup NEVER runs dry!! This tea is plentiful and finite and nourishes like no other elixir. Amen?!!
Now as we participate in our new ways of living, or our distractions, we can go into it with real strength not from ourselves, but from God. When we apply our spiritual 'ointment' to our hearts and minds we can withstand what our human selves tell us we can't.
[ We can't always solve the puzzles of our lives, but the Lord can - His way ]
We can be there for one another, support even cry together, but...too much of this can become enabling, crippling. Misery loves company but misery can be a bitch! Let's side step our enabling tendencies and rise up in that weakness so our Lord can 'get us handled!' We can then help to raise each other up from our pits of pity, and fear. Feelings or our hearts aren't always reliable because they're forever changing, and are apart of our sin based human selves. We're in this 'silence fiction' reality together so let's LIVE during and through it - in spite of our feelings. This world is low so Let's go High!!
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
~Deut 31:16
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
~Proverbs 28:26
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
~Jer 17:9
[ Time with God, Strong in Faith keeps us balanced in an unbalanced world. ]
When you're 'feeling' out of control, depressed, or any of the many emotions these times bring on, stop, drop and roll into the Lord for an emergency intervention. It works because God works al the time!!
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
~2 Corinthians 12