the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:5-8
Saturday was officially the start of autumn, but the temperatures last week felt very, very much like summer. It has been hot. When the kids come back inside after recess with their red faces and their hair dripping wet, that wet dog smell permeates the air through the hallway.
In my current teaching position, I do not have recess duty. (They don’t let me out of the building!) But I have done a share of recess duty in the past. Our playgrounds do have some shade available. And some students seek it out on these sultry late summer days. But others just want to come up to the teachers and complain, “I’m hot!” My response to that was usually, “Why don’t you go play in the shade?”
I’ve been doing a lot of walking the last several weeks, and I try to avoid doing it in the heat of the day because along my walking route, there isn’t a whole lot of shade. When there is, I will shift my path to be in it. The shade is a cooler location. It gives some relief from the overbearing sun. But here’s the thing about shade: it doesn’t come to you; you have to go to the shade to enjoy those benefits.
Not long ago, as I was walking, I caught myself walking beside some shade -- not in it. Here I was dripping sweat, feeling a bit miserable, honestly, and yet I was so caught up in my own thoughts, in my own habits, that I missed the opportunity to enjoy the relief of the shade.
And when I realized that, I immediately had the thought, “I do this in my daily life, as well.” It's true. I don’t enjoy the shade because I don’t purposely go to it. I get worked up and stressed about all the things I need to accomplish in my day. I worry about my job, my family, my finances. I feel the strain of juggling practice schedules and games and lessons and church activities and appointments and meal planning and laundry and house cleaning.
I need to stop and move to the shade once in a while. I need to take all these burdens to the Lord and allow Him to put them back into the correct perspective. Psalm 121 tells me He is watching over all my coming and going, and He is my shade. I can go to Him for relief.
For me, that means spending some time each morning with my Bible and my journal, reading, listening, and praying. Some days it’s only 15 minutes, but that can make such a huge difference in my day! Not because my to-do list shrinks or my schedule clears of responsibilities, but because I often come away refreshed in knowing that God is in control. All these things that I get frazzled over, they are not life or death. In the grand scheme of eternity, they are usually frivolous. And even if they’re not, God often gently reminds me that He doesn’t need me to fix anything. He is handling it just fine. He is God -- all powerful, all knowing, perfect, wise, true, holy, just, loving, and more! And He’s got this. And He’s got me. And He delights in me so much that He invites me to come and sit in the shade with Him, cool off, and find relief from the heat of my life.
I think I often try to shoulder burdens that God never intended for me to carry. I am not responsible for the choices of other people. I am not able to be everything to everyone. I cannot possibly keep everyone in my life happy. If I am being obedient to those things I know God has asked me to do -- love Him with all my heart, mind, and soul; and love my neighbor as myself--then I can sit in His shade and allow Him to take care of the rest.
So today, I challenge you, my friend: Find some shade! Sit in it a minute or two and soak it up! God is watching over you. He loves you and loves spending time with you. Let Him take care of your burdens. Let Him take care of you.
Father God, thank You for being our shade, our relief from the stress and strain of busy lives. Thank You for being faithful and true. Help us to trust You more -- not only with life’s big problems, but with all the daily challenges, as well. Give us Your perspective to see things clearly and give us Your peace to help us through our week. Remind us to come to You and to enjoy the shade You provide for us.
For Small Groups:
What are some ways that you find some shade in your day?
Share something that is a burden you carry right now so that others can pray for you specifically.
How can we help each other to find some shade?
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