This new season of COVID19 has challenged every one of us in different ways. While we each experience unique trials and suffering, I wanted to share one of my own struggles over the last two weeks. No matter what you encounter through the ups and downs of this time, I hope you seek and welcome God into your particular story.
My body responded to the trigger injections in a most inopportune manner. Due to a combination of the injections and medicinal patches to aid my recovery from the recent car crash when I was hit by a drunk driver, my body reached a threshold. Within a week of the injections, my body developed a red rash. It began as small bumps and evolved into a full body armor of spots.
I’ve been restless for the last two weeks. It’s been awful. I have been dealing with this severe allergic reaction. The rash touched nearly every square inch of my body causing tingling, pain, and burning. Rest was allusive as my body combated this reaction and worked out the toxic response.
One sleepless night as I laid in bed I noticed the tingling all over my body. It was hard to lay still or find a comfortable position. The sensations moved from limb to limb and back to front, so peace from the pain seemed allusive.
Have you ever experienced physical restlessness?
Restless – unable to rest or relax, offering no physical or emotional rest.
For many, remaining confined to their living space has created physical unrest. Prior to COVID19, life had become frenetic, filled with many activities and commitments so that rest seemed impossible to attain. Yet, when forced into physical stillness because of the lockdown, instead of experiencing rest, we become restless. Why?
I wonder if the restless nature of our culture is less about the physical regulations and more about spiritual inattention. Are we spiritually restless? Do we welcome periods of stillness and relaxation in our journey with Jesus? Or, have we overloaded our journey with Jesus just like we overloaded our daily work schedules?
Restless
As I endeavored to combat the restless nature of my physical body, I wondered about the restless nature of my soul.
Does your soul feel restless?
Just like long baths, lotions, supplements, and time worked together to offer relief to my restless body, creating an acronym with restless offers ways to attend to the restlessness within our souls.
R – Reflect with God. What did you enjoy today? How did you respond to those joyful moments? Name the tensions from your day. Recognize God’s presence in both the delight and dissonant. What can you do to cultivate joy tomorrow?
E – Engage your environment. Use your five senses to notice your space. Look with your eyes out the windows as well as within your home. Listen to the hum of the refrigerator, the cars driving by, and the singing birds. Take a deep breath and smell your surroundings. Notice what your hands and feet touch. And taste your coffee, tea, and mealtime preparations.
S – Savor Scripture. Read a Psalm or Proverb slowly. Stop when words stir within your soul. Ponder those words and talk to God about them. Receive nourishment from the Living Word of God.
T – Trust God’s sovereignty. Remember the grandeur of God. He who made the foundations of the earth and sustains the elements of the universe is not surprised by the events of today. He is present. He remains steadfast, strong and secure. God’s position and authority endure forever.
L – Learn something new. Approach each day with curiosity. Develop new skills. Explore. What is one new thing to discover about yourself, God, others, and creation? Each day is an opportunity to grow.
E – Express gratitude. Count your blessings. Rather than focusing on “what you can’t do,” “what has changed,” or “what isn’t being done,” set your attention to God’s goodness. Thank God for His gifts and grace.
S – Silence technology. While technology has proven to be a great tool enhancing communication during this period of social distance, turn it off for a portion of the day. Silence the computer, phone, radio, and tv. Recognize your dependence on these sources and practice a little social distancing from them.
S – Support others. Listen for the needs around you. Reach out to at least one person outside your home each day. Send a text or email, meet up on zoom, or call on the phone. Converse about life, daily habits, longings, insights from books, questions without answers, hopes, and dreams. Engage with others about what is meaningful and encouraging.
Reflect. Engage. Savor. Trust. Learn. Express. Silence. Support.
Enjoy this space to be still with God, relax with Jesus, and heed the Holy Spirit. Exchange your restless soul into a soul satisfied and settled in the Lord.
Drips from the Word: Muse about these Bible verses. Let these truths impact your living.
Psalm 94:19
When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.
Splashes from the Spigot: Drink from deep wells. Check out these music videos to fill your soul.
Switchfoot. Restless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiiQcyoKWjQ
Audrey Assad. Restless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuhYZrn4flo