A Cup of Tea, God, and Me
Posted by AndreaSurely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. (Isaiah 59:1)
Bear with me. It’s around 4:45 am so my post may seem a bit disjointed and “rambly”. If you’re brave, you can continue reading. I promise my thoughts will all come together in the end.
Yesterday was a very stressful day. When I am stressed, it’s usually much harder for me to sleep and if I am able to sleep, I usually have very odd dreams. In addition, stress causes me to become cranky and irritable. Though I am not proud to admit it, this irritation sometimes lingers, resulting in a bad mood.
Lately, the Lord has been reprimanding about my attitude and moodiness. Last week during a trip to our local Christian bookstore I found a book titled Managing Your Moods. It’s part of a women’s Bible study sponsored by Women of Faith Ministries. JT and I had gone to the bookstore in search of a couple’s devotions (and we found a great one I’ll describe in a future post) so I knew my “discovery” of Managing Your Moods was no accident!
Before I went to bed last night, I skimmed the book to get a better idea of what it was about. A quotation by Luci Swindoll on a page’s sidebar caught my attention.
There are times you might be so fearful all you can say is, “Lord, I’m scared. Please give me peace, because I am placing my trust in you. I know you can meet me right here. Please do!” And He will. He will enter into your mind and calm you with his presence.
The stress of the day crept into my dreams last night. I had a vivid dream about my father, who passed away several years ago. My father and I were talking, having a serious discussion about a topic I cannot recall. My dream ended abruptly and when I woke up, I crumbled because I realized once again that my father wasn’t really here. I was so sad, anxious, and fearful! Though JT was there to comfort me, I still felt horrible.
I slipped down to the kitchen to make myself a cup of tea in hopes of calming my nerves and easing my mind. But, no matter how much tea I drank and no matter how much I rationalized, I simply could not calm myself. That’s when the Luci Swindoll quote I read before bed came to mind.
Right then and there, I grabbed the book and reread the quote. I admitted to God that I was afraid, sad, and anxious and just as Luci said He would, God met me on the living room couch and calmed me!
Though I shouldn’t be, time and time again I am amazed by God’s love and omnipresence. God is everywhere all the time, meeting everyone’s needs both large and small. I’m so very thankful God is never to busy to embrace me! As I wrap up this early morning post, I’m praising the Lord because He answered my little prayer so quickly and because I’m feeling much better!
May God meet you sometime today.
Photo: Courtesy of Ben Haldenby (Flickr)
Tags: Luci Swindoll, Managing Your Moods, Women of Faith
i am so glad with you. He is so good to us.
Yes, He is! Thanks for rejoicing with me!
I am so sorry about your stress level . . . but I am thrilled that you found comfort through our Lord. I pray the rest of your week is peaceful and full of blessings.
Thank you so much Kathy! Last night I slept much better and today is off to a terrific start. God is so very good!
I am praising the Lord too for meeting you in your need. I will definitely check this book out. Thanks for being so honest and real!
Jules, I highly recommend the book and the entire series of Women of Faith studies.
I love those times when God actually comes near and calms us and brings us a peace beyond our natural understanding.
Also, I love the practical suggestion in Lucy’s quote: “I know you can meet me right here. Please do!” Ask and it shall be given unto you…
I’m praying for your day: for continued peace and warm embraces from our Savior. :~D
e-Mom, because God often requires me to wait, I sometimes forget that He can answer my prayers immediately. I certainly flet supernatural peace. Thank you for your prayers!
Thank you for such a nice post. I can relate to the mood. I am going to get this book. Have a blessed day!
Thanks for stopping by and reading! Enjoy the coming weekend!
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I think I will try it again but keep my to do list out of it and see if that works for me. It does keep me organized when I did use it. Thank you so much and have a blessed rest of your day. I hope that you can get the sleep that you need. I am the same way, when I am stressed, I don’t sleep.