Rest

What do you think of when you hear the word 'rest'?

Right around the New Year, God began to impress upon me that He wanted me to focus my prayers for you on a few specific things for awhile.  One of those things is rest.  I'm not talking about sleep here, although sleep is definitely a component of rest. About 4 months after coming home with Happy, my sleep cycle became very disturbed...for over a year.  I was just so tense and stressed out all the time.  I found myself in a pattern of waking up at 3 am every night (morning?).  No matter what time I went to bed, 3 am was my wake up time.  It was incredibly frustrating and I was exhausted.  Exhausted doesn't even begin to describe it adequately.  I love sleep.  I used to sleep about 9 hours a night...it was glorious.  A friend of mine from one of my post-adoption support groups suggested that my high stress levels the past year had probably depleted my body of important vitamins and minerals...she spoke from her own experience of post-adoption-unbelievable-stress-not-able-to-sleep.  I know a few others who are currently suffering from lack of sleep and insomnia.  It's not that they're not tired...it's that they simply can't sleep.  A vicious cycle for sure.

rest [rest]

noun

1. the refreshing quiet or repose of sleep.
2. refreshing ease or inactivity after exertion or labor.
3. relief or freedom, especially from anything that wearies, troubles, or disturbs.
4. a period or interval of inactivity, repose, solitude, or tranquility.
5. mental or spiritual calm; tranquility.

If I had read the above definition of rest a year ago, when things were particularly hard and stressful with Happy, I would have laughed.  Well, actually I probably would have cried.

Refreshing quiet?

Repose of sleep?

Freedom from anything that wearies, troubles, or disturbs?

Inactivity?  Repose?  Solitude? Tranquility?

Mental calm?  Spiritual calm?

Ha!  I remembered that these things had been a part of my life for a long time.  But a year ago I COULD NOT IMAGINE these wonderful gifts coming back into my life.  They were far off, unreachable luxuries.  My 'mental calm' alone had not existed in...well, probably since we started the adoption process in January 2010.

Friends, I'm here to tell you that you WILL find rest again.  I sit here on my couch under a fleece blanket on this cold, windy, rainy day sipping a cup of hot tea, thinking of and praying for you.  I guarantee you this would not have happened on this day a year ago.  Well, I guess it might have happened, but it would have been me sitting here, tense, waiting on pins and needles for the next rage...wondering what would set her off, my tea getting cold from all the interruptions.  It would not have included the tranquility that is present today, right now.

I will be sharing more about rest in the coming days.  The Lord has been teaching me so much about biblical rest and why it's important.  Not just to us, but rest is important to Him.  Did you know that rest is one of the 10 Commandments in Exodus 20?  It is.  Rest is important.  Rest is for our good.  We MUST rest.

For now, just know that I am praying for each of you.  I'm praying for rest for each of you.  Rest for your mind.  Rest for you heart.  Rest for you body.  Rest for your soul.  My prayer list is up to 67 right now.  I am praying daily for all 67 of you and in general for all the other adoptive parents who I know are struggling and lacking rest.

Don't forget God's promise in Exodus 33:14 - "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

The Lord also says in Isaiah 14:3 that He will give you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve.

Wait on Him.  Don't give up.  Rest will be yours.

Love,