Love Shower

Today my two year old crawled onto my chest, snuggled up, rested her head and said “ah.” It was an exaggerated sigh but it was the sound of relief and comfort from being in her Mama’s arms. I have found myself throughout the week saying “I need to decompress.” I have needed that same kind of relief. But I have not made a stopping point yet.

Last week, my husband’s aunt passed away. This week has been nonstop demanding. My mind is tired. My emotions are drained to numbness and my body aches from lack of rest. Tonight I have nothing scheduled and I fully intend to “crawl” into God’s mighty arms and just breathe.

I have learned that life is truly seasonal. If I am not currently in a storm then I should be resting and preparing because there will be one around the bend. This is not negativity speaking; it’s the truth, plain and simple. Everyone is either coming up on a storm, in the middle of one or on the other side of it. This is the navigation of life. The constant is that Jesus remains the same and in the midst of chaos, He is a firm foundation and peace-speaker.

Recently I had a conversation with a family member about how much I hate the water and I will NEVER go on a cruise. I hate the water because I’m afraid of the immensity of it. I’m afraid of what’s in it. I’m afraid of being sick from the turbulence of it AND I am afraid of drowning in it! I choose to admire the artistry of it from a safe distance! I once got brave and ran into a small wave crashing onto the shore. But that’s the extent of my bravery. I won’t get in the water…no thank you!

The irony of my rather frank statements is that this week I have been in spiritually turbulent waters. Outwardly, I had my game face on. Inwardly, I have felt the life being sucked from me. I’ve been attacked from an arsenal of weaponry that I never suspected even existed. I may have been tossed around a bit. I may have been knocked under the water for a moment. But once again, the supernatural strength of Jesus was magnified in my weakness.

As I write this, I’ve wondered what was it that initially threw me off balance and “overboard.” Looking back, it was a million, little petty things that hit all at once. It was a downpour of problematic distractions that pelted me. Then in my dazed state, a wave of grief hit and down I went.

This is a go-to tactic of the enemy and if I had my spiritual eyes wide open, I would have seen it coming. But in my already weakened state, I missed the red flags. This is where grace comes in. God’s grace is the divine influence upon one’s heart and its reflection in one’s life. I did nothing to deserve an SOS response. I did nothing worthy of divine rescue of my heart. Yet, the richness and fullness of God’s infinite love and mercy kept me afloat and carried me on to safety.

Now I am going to rest. I’m going to turn off my phone, find a blanket, ask God to meet me in my rest and just breathe. My dear friend calls this a “love shower.” She says that in moments of chaos, we can simply extend our hands as if to receive a gift and ask God to shower us in His love. He is so faithful to do it too! I need to rest in His love. I need to recharge in His presence. I need to find my bearings again in the strength of His capable hands. So here I go…love shower time!

If you’ve been tossed around and feel depleted…if you feel like you’re fighting to stay ahead of the next blow…it’s time to crawl into God’s arms and rest for a moment. Unplug. Reset. Recharge. Open your hands and let Him shower His love upon you.

Hey girls! Remember you are uniquely made on purpose, for a purpose and for such a time as this! Until next week…