“And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”—Exodus 33:14 (NASB)
While God is directly speaking to Moses in Exodus 33:14, it still holds true to us too. It is a reminder for us that when we walk closely with God, He is not distant from us. God draws near to us as we seek His direction in our lives.
Last week God graciously provided 5 days of rest and relaxation for me which renewed my spirit. God orchestrated this trip to the Bahamas with some good friends months ago. He knew the exact time I would need rest and relaxation away from my home.
In the quiet moments of the morning, sitting on my balcony, I soaked in God revealing His beauty to me. While I didn’t have my comfy chair with my special matcha green tea for my morning quiet time, God gave me a tropical garden view. How could I not have peace in His presence with my surroundings?
I had knit plenty of hair scrunchies and headbands prior to the trip. Each day I would ask God to reveal to me who to bless. When I brought my bag of knit gifts to Rose at the water activities, she picked which one she wanted. She read the scripture, smiled, and asked if she could get one for her daughter too. It warmed my heart to see her smile when she read the tag.
I feel as if each person who received a gift was touched by it. One of the waitresses got all excited and told me she was going to hang them on her wall as a reminder. Between flight attendants and servers at the hotel, I was able to bless a total of 10 ladies. I love how God was able to use my knitting ministry in another part of the world.
Being able to give those gifts away, really renewed by soul which had become weary. Not only did I not have to deal with my mother’s repetitive phone calls/messages while I was gone, but the evening we got home, I had a voicemail from my mother’s assisted living that her phone charger was broken so her phone battery was dead.
I told both of my brothers that I was going to keep her phone at home for a week to see how she did without it. What a game changer it has been. One of my biggest stressors with her has been her frequent phone calls. It turns out her not having her phone has also helped with her behaviors. She doesn’t seem as agitated now. She hasn’t been asking for it back like I thought she would. I am in awe at how God has worked that all out for us.
In a few weeks she will be moving 3 hours away. Full transparency here; had you asked me the day before my vacation if I was going to miss her, I would have said, no, I need a break. For 2 1/2 years I have been praying for God to give me better memories with her. Whether it is her new medication or not having a phone, I am thankful for God answering my prayer to give me some sweet moments with her for me to remember.
I had also been feeling as if my passion for my knitting was waning too, but those 5 days of rest, relaxation, renewal, and gift giving were exactly what I need to be recharged. Sometimes it takes getting away for a few days to put things back in perspective.
Father God,
Thank You for orchestrating a vacation months ahead of time knowing how much I would need it. I give You praise for introducing me to a hobby that I have been able to use to share the love of Jesus with those who may not know You. Thank You for recharging my soul to continue on the path where You have been leading me. I lift those up to You who are feeling discouraged with their circumstances. May You sprinkle their day with pockets of rest to renew their weariness. I pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
August Verse
“May your ways be known throughout the earth, your saving power among people everywhere.”—Psalm 67:2 (NLT)
If you are knitting or crocheting gifts to give away, please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make.