“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run; and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

I was gifted with the opportunity to attend many New Church camps when I was younger. At these camps I learned a lot of songs about the Lord, and one of these songs had this quote woven into it. The song still sings inside my chest like steady drumming. It has kept my footsteps strong and my heart hopeful.

This quote’s beautiful description of the joys that can accompany waiting on the Lord, really brings this prayer to life for me. It helps me step into the Lord’s sense of time, and the trust that life requires. It helps me remember that the Lord is the Master of time and that He provides everything I need. It loosens the impatience I sometimes get with the pace of my life; from getting out the door on time, to having a partner to share this life with, and even the sometimes comforting thought that I get to go to heaven some day and take a long nap.

When I become too set in my schedule and stress about timing, I become miserable and anxious. I cannot imagine how everything is going to get done and no one or nothing is going to be seriously hurt, or left out. But it works out. Somehow I look back and can’t believe I made it through. I get the actual feeling that the Lord has just carried me to this new point, and that everything is alright. And it’s always going to be alright. I savor these moments, because inevitably I will cycle back into the hard workings of life, and get caught up in the lengthy to-do list that burdens my multitasking mind.

Thank you, thank you, thank you Lord, for loving reminders of your presence.
Putting words from the Bible into song is such a wonderful way to bring truth to life and carve it into memory.

I am so grateful for the sweet songs I have nuzzled in my memory, and for the quotes I have stored in my mind. When I don’t like life very much, and have a bad attitude, I know I need support but I don’t seem to be able to reach out to a friend or I don’t have the time to, and I don’t trust the media or other forms of encouragement. These are the times when I can look within and let the Word sing inside me, and that brings me hope. They are songs of lightness, courage and remembrance. Words that bring me back to a good place, calm and centered, while the world and all the work there is to be done just sits still for a moment. These encouraging moments remind me of the time when I was a girl who felt so free, and had so little responsibilities. To remember that she is still me. I am still young and free spirited. Even though she never wore a watch or yelled at her kids. I love remembering who I have been and gaining poise from these memories.

Thinking about what it was like at church camps years ago, and the wonderful feeling of singing with my friends. It was like we were all birds flying in a synchronized rhythm and creating harmonies that touched the clouds and wrapped us up in a chorus of belonging.

Currently I have been feeling more like an ostrich….but also like an octopus. My head is buried in paper work, plans and tasks. I am missing the spring flowers, the breeze and the slowness. The way it was when I quietly sat and nursed my baby. That was such a nice time to breathe and connect with my heart. I wish I still had those times, because now I wonder where to build in times for pausing and taking a deep breath. Doing one thing instead of many. Being forced to play on the floor with my toddlers, read books and color. These were times that helped slow me down, and keep me rooted. I don’t want to schedule in peaceful time, and really I don’t have to. They do happen, it’s just different now, and the songs from the Word urge me onward.