"Let my soul take refuge, beneath the shadow of Your wings: let my heart, this sea of restless waves, find peace in you O God!" - Augustine
Yes indeed. Augustines words find a home within me as I struggle to focus and prepare my heart and mind and body for the work asked of me this Sunday.
My eyes are tired and not focusing properly as they will need to when I read things in public. My psoriasis is acting up and giving me trouble which means either I'm stressed or I'm not getting enough sun or I'm drinking too much. My heart is heavy with some news that will make life difficult for a friend for a season. Some Christmas deadlines are creeping up on me that I will need to really work towards this week that will take away any day off, so there will be not much for a turn around time here this week.
Today is a full day of teaching and leading worship and preaching, you know, the usual Sunday work of a pastor. Then we need to get to town in time for the High School Christmas Concert this afternoon, then supper with field people, then home to crash.
This morning Augustines words hit home just a bit closer than usual.
On mornings like this I would like to simply take refuge and hide the day away.
May my heart, on days like this when cast about on seas of restless waves, find peace in you O God.
Thank you - am 'cast about on seas of restless waves' myself today (for very different reasons) and it was good to be reminded of Augustine. Coming to the end of my day here; facing it was the right, but testing thing to do - pray that the same is true for you. And that we both have the strength we need for tomorrow..
ReplyDeleteComing to the end of the day here too and after leaving the house around 8 am, we returned about 8 pm with much life lived in-between the eights.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it is behind us and it feels like a good days work is completed, like we cut and stacked a cord of spiritual wood here this day.
But as with you Rachel, doing the right thing can be a test of body, mind, or spirit. I'm glad you passed today, and I'll remind God of your story and your needs even as you sleep this night.
Sleep well Rachel, and others who may pass this way this night.