Macaroni & Cheese

He was in aisle 10, reaching up on tip toes gathering the last of the mac & cheese bowls that were on sale. He had a hooded sweatshirt on with the bowls stuffed in his hood, several in his arms and some stacked on the floor. His Dr. Pepper was rolling down the middle of the aisle I had to smile at the scene before me. Picking up the Dr. Pepper I placed it close to his mac & cheese asking him if he needed some help in reaching the last bowls on the shelf. He said, "No, I got it". Then I offered him the obvious, my empty basket in my hand. He said again, "No, I'm good." I tried to make my offer sound like good sense from a child's perspective. I said, "Look I have nothing in my basket and you need one, please take mine & I can go get another." "No!" he said, "I can do this". I said, "Ok" and walked away with a chuckle.
The next morning I was praying to my heavenly Father about something and apologizing about coming to Him again with the same burden. I felt a gentle prodding to let Him have this burden and walk away and not look back. God reminded me of mac & cheese and baskets. He said "You have the load, I have the basket, now put your load in my basket and I will carry this."

Oh, I have been here before even with the same load. I am unaware at what point I grab it back again. Maybe it's because I never let go or maybe it's because I feel He's moving too slow, or maybe my need is answered and staring me in the face and I don't see it because it's not the answer I wanted. I don't know but I do know that all of a sudden I'm aware I'm carrying it again and that He's asking to carry it once more. I'm so thankful for His amazing patience and mercy. He said,

"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28

In the New Testament lexical aids at the back of my Bible the word "rest" is translated "a letting down of cords or strings which have been strained or drawn tight"

As we start this new year let's get into the practice of constantly giving Him our load and walking away. With a promise from Him of rest how can we stuff all our concerns into our pockets and say to Him, "I can handle this". My prayer for you sister, as we stand on the edge of two years is that you will resolve to give all your concerns to Him, trust Him and just walk away.
Just a side note-He knows where your going

His, Joni

Living Water

I have fountain in my house. It is a woman from the old country who is pouring water out of her jar. She reminds me of the story in John 4:1-26 of the woman at the well. I can imagine this woman coming to the well, having no idea that she would have an encounter with the Creator of the Universe.



She had made bad choices in her life and was bent under the load of her sin. She was coming to the well at a different time than anyone else. Perhaps it was because she was just running late, or perhaps she hated to face the accusing stares from the other women. She did show up at the 6th hour which was noon. No one was there but Jesus.



With compassion and love, Jesus tells her of the Living Water, Himself, which will fill her every need. He says, "everyone who drinks this well water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:13-14. When she accepted the water He had to offer, her life took on a whole new meaning and purpose.



There are times when I come to Jesus and ask for living water, believing in my heart that He can, but my mind says "will He?" Listen to the words of Oswald Chambers. "When we get into difficult circumstances, we impoverish His ministry by saying - "Of course He cannot do anything, and we struggle down to the deeps and try to get the water for ourselves. Beware of the satisfaction of sinking back and saying - 'It can't be done." You know it can be done if you look to Jesus. The well of your completeness is deep, but make the effort and look away to Him"



Know that as deep as your well is...grief, sin, dis-obedience, cares, concerns, anxiety, doubt, fear, needing to forgive someone, etc...His provision goes deeper still. He is the Almighty God. He can and He will provide if you abandon yourself to Him.



Sometimes we just need to get alone and have a good talk with Him. I heard a story of a young girl that used to wake up in the morning smooth her bedspread out and say "Jesus, come sit here with me and let's talk." I have experienced these wonderful moments of conversation with my Savior and I have come away with His peace, joy and the freedom that I have received from diving into the Living Water.



I pray that at your Christmas table you won't forget the water; let it remind you of His presence.



His - Joni