Many of us have sung the song in church by the popular
worship band, Hillsong United, … “Spirit
lead me where my trust is without borders, where I walk upon the waters in the
presence of my savior. Take me deeper than feet could ever wander and my faith
will be made stronger in the presence of my savior.”
What a bold statement we are actually singing. I think if we
realized what was actually coming out of our mouths, we might hum that part or
lip sync.
What kind of situations leads us to a state of complete and
utter trust in God? One that might cause us to depend on him solely for
provision when it comes to our finances.
What kind of time in our lives allows us to feel like we are
walking on the waters in the presence of our savior? One where the waves
threaten to overwhelm and overtake us with life’s demands or an ever-increasing
busy schedule.
In what situation might you ever be taken deeper than your
feet would have ever originally dared to wander? Perhaps you are in a new town
or a new job that has taken you out of your comfort zone completely.
So how does the last part come true?... “My faith will be
made stronger in the presence of my savior?” The answer is REST.
In Vicki Courtney’s new book, Rest Assured: A Recovery Plan for Weary Souls, she writes a
beautifully honest and real take on how we can rest in the middle of the storms
in our lives.
She explains that sometimes the storms are brought on by
ourselves and our need to never disappoint anyone and our constant people
pleasing. This leads us to a schedule bursting at the seams and us gasping for
air above the never-ending obligations.
Other times the storms are out of our control, causing our
emotions to spin out of control also. We become frazzled, worn out and
stressed.
I love what she writes here:
“We’ve all experienced
our fair share of wit’s end moments. Moments turn to days, and days turn to
months. Before long, being at wit’s end becomes our standard default setting.
Fortunately, you and I
don’t have to set up camp and live there. We can choose differently. The harbor
we long for lies just off in the distance, but many of us have lost sight of
the shoreline because we can’t see past the waves. We funnel our energy into
staying afloat and scooping out the water one Dixie Cup at a time rather than
turning to the one who openly rebuked the wind and sea with a simple command:
“Peace Be Still!”…”
With practical advice coupled with raw and truthful accounts
in her own personal life, she encourages the reader to find the areas in their
lives that are spinning out of control in the first part of the book.
In the second part, is when the recovery plan comes in. She
asks the reader to devote one week per chapter to truly let it soak into their
hearts and lives and each piece of advice to begin making a difference in the
life of the reader.
The goal here is learning to enter God’s rest through the
difficult times because that is when you are able to fully hear the voice of
God speaking to you and make clearer and wiser decisions for your future.
The back of the book also includes a 30 day restoration
guide and “100 Ways to Give it a Rest” section. Being a mom of two boys,
recently moving across the country for my husband’s job, and being in ministry
while living in a fixer upper…you can see why I was thrilled with the privilege
of writing this review. ( I needed this book!)
I am also very excited to give you an opportunity to enjoy
this incredible book and learn to begin to truly enter God’s rest, which is so
appropriate, especially this time of the year.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
(This blog is
sponsored by Family Christian. In exchange for a copy of the book, Rest
Assured: A Recovery Plan for Weary Souls, I agreed to review the book and host
a giveaway. The opinions included are solely mine.)
