New Default

Since being back in Vienna, the struggle to get into normal life has been just that ... a struggle.  Doing, working, making, planning - all these activities creep into my life like a rogue thief.  These acts steal my strength, my focus and wear me flat out!

Vocabulary Note:  Flat out; Oklahoma derivative, adjective:  extreme exhaustion.

Yesterday, while hanging wet clothes on my indoor clothes line, I had an encounter with the Holy Spirit.  I love these encounters ... and pray they come on a more regular basis!  Anyway, as I was grabbing for another clothes pin to secure another pair of underwear ... SHAZAM!

My working, my fearing, my planning, my worry, my (fill in the blank with any kind of works) is a learned behavior!  Over the years of being a human, my brain is still set on the "panic" default when something doesn't feel right.  If there is lack of comfort in my soul then fear, worry, works peak their ugly heads into my life to get me to ... fear, worry and work!

As I grabbed for the next clothes pin, this time pinning an apron that previously had spaghetti smeared down the front, the Spirit reminded me of the story of Jesus in the boat during a storm with his 12 friends.  The storm caused the 12 to fear, worry, work.  Jesus slept.

SHAZAM!  Again ... the Holy Spirit showed me that IN HIM I can have and do have a new default.  Rest.  Rest is the opposite of my natural tendency but the perfect response as I live in His Spirit.  And then I thought how strange REST feels.  I am resting right now in a situation that has caused my heart to have some fear, worry and the need to work.  However, I've chosen to rest in it ... and it feels really good and really weird at the same time.

I feel like I'm uncaring for not fearing and worrying and working!  Isn't that the logic of the evil one?  When we choose to rest ... if we are not used to doing it ... it feels weird!  No more!

If you dare, choose to reset your default back to the original source ...
christina