A Reminder

I have been having a day... not terribly bad, but also not super exciting. To tell you the truth, I'm a little stressed. A lot of things weigh heavy on my mind. As I told Jason earlier, I have a line in my mind... and when things start stacking up and hit that line, I just stop functioning. I can't decide on what to do first or sometimes, just what to do! And that's where my contribution to society in being a working member of it, ends.

Today I just knew I needed some time with God. I'd been praying this morning, praying for sanity and for darby... just for help. Darby is finally asleep and I find myself having a quiet moment so I decided to open up a devotional book that I keep handy. I even laughed to myself as I went to the "May 18th" day in the book... thinking "Do I really think that providentially there is going to be something on this day that is going to speak to my need of today?" I'm not sure I believed there would be.

Sure enough.

"We were under great pressure... so that we despaired even of life... But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 2 Corinthians 1:8-9"

Here was the poem that followed, that spoke to my heart.

Pressed beyond measure; yes, pressed to great length;
Pressed so intensely, beyond my own strength;
Pressed in my body and pressed in my soul,
Pressed in my mind till the dark surges roll.
Pressure from foes, and pressure from dear friends,
Pressure on pressure, till life nearly ends.

Pressed into knowing no helper but God;
Pressed into loving His staff and His rod.
Pressed into liberty where nothing clings;
Pressed into faith for impossible things.
Pressed into living my life for the Lord,
Pressed into living a Christ-life outpoured.

I have never been one for poetry... something about it always made me feel awkward. Yet, this poem really spoke to me. It kind of gave a voice to the craziness in my head. Pressure. Thats what I was/am feeling. Thats what this person felt, and this is how they responded. They did what Paul spoke of in Corinthians, and turned to God because its what they had to do and what that pressure was meant for them to do.

It was a good reminder for me :0) and I thought I'd share it with you.