Sing a New Song
Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.—Psalm 96:1 (NIV)
Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.—DEUTERONOMY 33:12 (NIV)
There’s a whole lot of work when a severe illness strikes. Suddenly you’re taking crash courses in anatomy, medicine, therapy, finance, law, counseling, probabilities, problem-solving!
When my husband was unexpectedly diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the age of 58, I could not stop my brain from
engaging in an endless cycle of questions: What is this disease? Is there treatment? Will my husband lose his job? Will we lose our health care? Are there research trials?
I wore myself out trying to tackle every aspect of these topics. Later, I realized I couldn’t force a good result even if
I did everything possible. For instance, we chased so many research studies—waiting to be approved, not qualifying, being continually declined—and were rejected time after time.
Some relief arrived when I visited a monastery in the search for silence, peace, prayer and ultimately God. It was there I discovered a simple truth: “You are enough. You are doing enough.”
Ah. So this wasn’t up to me to solve? Nope. It was only up to me to love, trust and be fully present. Genuine rest would be found in the Lord, not in achievement.
Lord, you made me. You direct me. You have given me gifts, but it is not my job to do everything. Please continue to remind me to rest and trust in you.
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Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.—Psalm 96:1 (NIV)
Oh, that I might have my request, that God would grant my desire.—Job 6:8 (NIV)
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.—Isaiah 61:1 (NIV)