Hi friends! I hope you are all doing well and staying safe. What a strange time we are living in. It’s hard to believe tomorrow is the first day of May. On one hand it feels like the last 6 weeks have crawled by, but then on the other, how can we already be 1/3 of the way through 2020!
I have noticed over the last week or so, I have been struggling more than normal. I am one that is, for the most part, fairly grounded but I have been feeling very burdened and heavy lately. (And I don’t mean heavy because of all the snacks I have been eating.) I described this feeling to a couple of my friends as the same feeling I had during the 6 months or so before my dad passed away. We knew we were in our last days with him, so we tried to treasure as many moments as we could, but at the same time we were always waiting for something else to happen. It was as if we were stuck in constant anticipation of the dreaded phone call. I remember feeling numb during those days and earlier this week, I realized that was exactly how I was beginning to feel again. And to top it off, I have not been sleeping – well I should say, I am not resting.
Then last night I was reading in Psalm and came across the following verses:
And immediately the Holy Spirit surrounded me with His presence.
I felt God whisper to my heart, “Tonya why are you so restless? Why are you not turning to me? Don’t you know that I am all you need? Remember, I am your Rock, your fortress, your salvation!”
Wow – talk about a ‘come to Jesus’ moment! I am so thankful for these beautiful words that spoke such truth to my heart last night and reminded me of who God is and who I am not!
God is my salvation. He is my rock – and when I think of Him as being my rock, I think of the biggest boulder ever – like those out west – one that is solid, constant and immovable! And not only is He my rock but He is also my stronghold. A stronghold is a place of retreat or refuge, a place one run to for protection and rest when it feels as if everything else is against them. And that is exactly how I have been feeling – like all that is going on around me has overtaken my mind and I can’t escape from it. I am in desperate need of a place of refuge – and I am so thankful I know exactly where I can find the perfect stronghold – in my God and Him alone! When I run to Him, I can know for certain that I will find rest in Him and He will take care of my every need!
Friend, let me encourage you tonight by reminding you that we are not in this alone. We do not have to be consumed by the heaviness of all that we are enduring right now. We have a God who loves us, protects us and gives us rest! All we have to do is call out to Him.
If you need to talk, please know I am here. If you need prayer, I am here. And most of all, if you are not sure how God can be your salvation, your rock, and your stronghold, please contact me as I would love to show you how!
Rooted in Christ 