weight

let your weight of burden go

Karla Lees2 Comments

I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. Philippians 3:13b

I have had a few conversations of late where wonder was expressed at how I can leave my past behind me.

It was not easy learning to let go and to forgive, but I figured out quite quickly I couldn’t hold on to the old me if I wanted to become the new me He had in mind with my design.

The tighter we grip our past, the less able we are to step forward.

We weren’t meant to be under that kind of strain, nor to carry that kind of baggage.

God reminds us that we are to:

Come to Him, all those who are weary and burdened, and He will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Al;though I knew this as we all do on one level, God made this verse come alive to me in a very unexpected way.

One day, soon after my second child was born, I was walking from our car into a mall to go shopping.  The moment i got out of the vehicle, with each subsequent step, I could feel an increasing weight being applied onto my shoulders. I felt more and more weary,  with a strong sense of despair all at the same time.

I was beginning to hunch and limp so much so as I kept walking I thought I might be having a stroke. I was pretty close to completely freaking out on the inside when it suddenly occurred to me to pray in the moment.

So I did.

The weight briefly got heavier as i did, and then i heard, “Are you ready to let Me carry those burdens?” in His sweet soft voice.

That was the eye opener my squelched down hurting soul and spirit needed.  I stopped, prayed and asked Him to take anything i might be carrying off of my shoulders, and to give me rest in the place of those burdens.

He did, almost immediately.

My  exhaustion and sense of burden lifted. My back straightened, my neck and shoulders loosened up, and my gait realigned with every step i took after giving Him that weight.

The weight of our past and our disappointments we were never meant to be lugging along with us.

We were meant instead to carry the weight of glory, Beloved.

The moments in our past where we were hurt or experienced a sense of loss?  He asks us to give Him those as we draw close to Him.

The moments in our past where we felt joy or celebrated? These too can become traps when we stay stuck in them, and can’t move beyond them.

We are meant to live in the now of this moment, Beloved.

God has reminded us in his Word how He has plans and a purpose for us, each and every one of us.  Good plans.

Plans which will incorporate the blessings and lessons from your the past, as He uses them to help His design come to light.

If you haven’t fully stepped out of the reach of those shadows lurking from your past, take comfort.  God knows.

His plan is for your full freedom.

And your full freedom will come to pass, because He isn’t a liar.

When the weight of the past speaks loudly at you, remind it you know it isn’t His voice trying to get Your attention.

Its time to take the igniter out of the liar’s hands, and let God heal and remove the past wounds weighing us down.

Then He can reignite…

Our hearts with His love.

Our minds with His hope.

Our bodies with His touch.

Our purpose with His guidance.

Our lives with His life in us.

Before this busy season of celebration begins to pick up speed, set some time aside to soak in his Presence.

Just like a bubble bath relaxes you physically and emotionally, soaking in his Presence helps the dirt of the past to be washed away as He restores and rejuvenates your spirit.

Let the weight of His glory cover you and make you whole as you place the weight of your burdens and hurts into His loving hands.

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careless in His care

Karla Lees2 Comments

image

I have been an avid bird lover since I learned that penguin parents sing to their young.

As a ‘songbird’ myself, that resonated deep within me.

I liked that love can be shown through a song.

As a child, i often wondered to myself who cared for all the wild birds I enjoyed soaring across the sky, nesting in the trees and flocking around.

That question gave me a swift shove after I became a believer as a young adult, and first read Matthew 6.

I am called to live carefree.

Nor carefree without consideration for others, but carefree in the ability not to worry.

Because I am covered under His wings, safe in His embrace, completely cared for by the God who loves me.

And the birds we all see about us remind me of that truth almost every day.

If birds are cared for, all their needs are met and they are able to chirp, fly, nest as birds are meant to do because of His care….why do we tend to think He would care less for us?

As a mom and wife, I have a tendency to make sure my kids and hubby are well taken care of before meeting my own needs.

That is a characteristic of our heavenly Father we reflect here on earth, when we care for our loved ones.

He’s a good good Father.
It’s who He is.
Not chooses to be, but intrinsically part of His very nature.

So when we read verses about living carefree in His care? He wants is to take Him literally.

For God doesn’t lie.

If He says He is caring for us, He is.

If He says we are of great value to Him, we are.

You don’t offer up your son as a sacrifice for people you don’t care about.

You give your best for those you adore, don’t you? On their birthday, graduation, Christmas?

God gave His very best on a regular day, because He knew we would need to know He cares about all our days, not just the religious ones.

Just as every bird is under His watch, so is the rest of creation.

But the pinnacle of His love is found in the ones He made in His image.

You and me.

We are the ones He cares so much for He made sure His heart of love and all the actions it inspired was recorded. A living testimony to the God of life who allowed Himself to be recorded within the Word.

In snapshots of promise, hope, purpose, love and care.

His love in action, caring for us all.

He not only shows us how much He loves us, He reminds us how much He longs to take our cares upon His shoulders and shoulder the load for us.

Every care we have matters to Him, because all of us matter to Him. All our hopes, dreams, worries, concerns…. He cares about it all.

So I don’t have to carry my cares all upon my shoulders.

He calls me to bring what I care about to Him, and allow Him to carry it for me, so I can live carefree in His care.

His love is so great for me, He not only rescued me but He holds my cares for me.

He paid a weight of love to redeem me from my sin, and carries the weight of my cares so I can be free to follow Him without worry.

Does that mean I never worry?
I can honestly say, I don’t worry as long as I used to.

God made this verse come alive to me about 15 years ago and each year I take shorter and shorter the length of time to bring my cares to His waiting hands.

I am loved by You.
It’s who I am.
Completely cared for in the safety of Your love.

May God give you too a revelation of His love for you. May it awaken within you like the song you were meant to sing. May you remove the weight of your cares, and allow Him to carry them, and you, as you follow Him into the wide open spaces of grace He has waiting for you.

how the weight of His glory can fall like snow

Karla LeesLeave a comment

How much does a snowflake weigh?

Someone who measures such things determined that an individual snowflake weighs 0.02* grams. At that weight it would take 50 flakes to make a gram. For comparison, a Hershey’s kiss weighs 4.7 grams – equal to about 235 snowflakes. There are about 95 kisses in a pound. Using the kiss-to-snow crystal calculator that comes to 22,325 snowflakes/pound.
*this would be the heaviest end of the spectrum. Most are much lighter, weighing from 0.001 to 0.003 grams.

In reality, it’s hard to measure the weight of a snowflake. For one thing, each snowfall is different. Some snow is light and fluffy, and some is heavy and wet. That’s due to the water content in the snow, which is related to the temperature high in the clouds where the flakes began forming, and the temperature of the air they fall through.

Quote from: http://archimedesnotebook.blogspot.ca/2011/01/how-much-does-snowflake-weigh.html?m=1

An individual snowflake doesn’t weigh much in the big scheme of things.  Yet God designed each one uniquely, placing great care in its creation.

And despite its miniscule weight, it still manages to fall to earth, again as part of God’s plan.

Why am I bringing up snowflakes during winter?

Because of last night.

Last night, while worshipping, I “saw” how snow & the weight of His glory relate in how they both fall.

Each snowflake is designed for a purpose, and only fulfills that purpose when it falls with the rest of the snowflakes in the same snowfall or storm.

On its own, it isn’t particularly heavy, but when you add up the weight it forms when it piles up, it can be quite significant.

Each snowflake’s composition is perfect for the design of its fall, the exact amount of water contained within to be the perfect part of the team alongside the other snowflakes….all unique yet made to fall together.

There are two ways snow is a great example of the weight of His glory.

We are all like those snowflakes. And He will perfectly fill us with the right amount of water (living water, His Presence) so we are filled for the purpose we are to live out that day….so we can share it with those around us.

His glory? Its weight falls like the snowflake. Perfectly attuned and made for its recipient.  And when a group gathers seeking His Presence, the weight of His glory gets heavier, as He falls on everyone in the room.  Some can sense it landing heavily, others sense a light touch.  He uniquely meets each of us with the exact right weight, more than enough for us in that exact moment, but never exactly like someone else’s.

Just like each snowflake, God’s Presence falls on each of us how He knows it will best soak in & water us.

When the weight of His glory falls heavily, as a heavy snowstorm can cause traffic to come to a standstill, so does time seem to come to a standstill.  The air gets thick, charged with power and spiritual electricity as He enters the room in His majesty.

The weight of His glory
falls snowflake by snowflake
until the full weight
of His tangible Presence
descends:
soaking in,
cleansing,
refreshing
as Heaven
meets earth
in a fantastic
exchange.

Unlike how we have no control over the snowfall, we can ask God to come to us.

His word promises He will come when we seek Him:

Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit.

 -Jesus, Acts 1:8

He will come when we seek Him. Exactly how & the when is up to Him.  Who He falls on with the weight of His glory? That depends on us:

Read the Word.  The God you find described there is real, and wants a real relationship with you.

Take some time to seek Him every day.  Even a five minute break can be used by Him to refresh you.  An extended period of time where you just seek and wait for Him? Even better. Even in the midst of being about His business on a short timetable, Jesus still made the time to spend with His Father:

As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.

Luke 5:16 MSG

Worship Him for who He is.  He loves to be praised, and promises to live where He is honored & lifted high:

Yet you are holy,enthroned on the praises of Israel, Your people.

Psalm 22:3 ESV

Thank Him for what He has done. For making you His. For caring for you. For the blessings He has already poured out on you and the ones He promises are to come:

I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.

Jeremiah 29:11 MSG

Believe He will come:

Because you’re not yet taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a mustard or  poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.

Matthew 17:20 MSG

Just like the snow, which continues to fall, so will the weight of His glory when we keep seeking Him.

It may feel like a snowflake landing on your nose. It may be  like a tingle or charge of static electricity. It may feel like a heaviness on your shoulders. It may feel like a heat wave, a fresh burst of wind, bubbling up joy or a peace unlike any you have ever known.

He will come. Just as sure as winter will always come again!

(PS. Here is a great song to hear to help set the atmosphere to seek Him: Weight of Glory)

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Image from: http://www.kidzworld.com

weight

Karla LeesLeave a comment

What is weighing you down?
I am not meaning physical weight, although in some cases (like me) our outside is affected by our inner emotions.
I am meaning the kind of weight you feel you can’t get out from under, or you can’t put down…

If we look at the word ‘weight’, I has a few meanings:
As a noun the heaviness of a person, or thing-especially one being lifted or carried.

As a verb: Either to hold (something) down by placing a heavy object on top of it OR attach importance or value to (something)

So the actual item (or burden of concern for a person) we are weighted down by is both an actual weight and a perceived (because of the importance we place on it) weight.

Weight.
The burden we place upon ourselves over a situation, person or object.
A heaviness we were never designed to carry.

So how do we unload ourselves from this weight we were not meant to be slogging around with, crippled underneath?

When we have burdened ourselves by staying up into the wee hours wracked with ‘What ifs’ playing over and over in our minds?

Wait
A verb, wait means to stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens.

We are meant to wait upon God when we are feeling weighed down with anxiety or a concern.

We are to delay doing anything else as we wait for God to speak, guide and love up on us. He also lightens the load:

Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Weight.
That which we were never designed to carry.
Wait.
For the one who willingly gave His life to carry it all.
WEIght
eats us up from within if we keep it too long, its that harmful to our health
WAIt
As we breathe in God, and breathe our the anxiety, we become:
Calm
Peaceful
Heard.

It’s time to get out from under the weight you may be struggling with.

Its time to wait for God to reveal more of Himself, and help us to give over what we were never originally carry.

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balance

Karla LeesLeave a comment

Today, Beth Moore talked via DVD about the temple in the last of our current bible study series.

Knocked me almost out of my chair.

Actually onto my knees.

I, like many of you, have struggled with my weight going up and down. Mine is a combo of hormones, lack of self control and some strongholds/idolatry.

Beth reminded us (me) that we are the temple for Holy Spirit, and we should be doing all we can to make Holy Spirit feel at home in our skin.

We need the stuff that isn’t our individuality or personality, both God given traits, to leave so we have more room for Holy Spirit to move in. Basically, our fleshly wants and desires, along with anything that may have attached itself to them.

Beth gave an example about a gal whose weight has fluctuated between a size 6 to a 14. At a size 6, she found she was consumed with thinking about what she ate all day long, obsessed with staying at that weight. At size 14, she threw caution to the wind and gave in to her appetite with anything she wanted, also referred to as gluttony.

Both extremes led her into different kinds of bondage.

Her happy weight for her body, where she is balanced with exercise, taking care of herself and predominantly health eating is a size 10, for her build, height and bone structure.
Asking God to set her free from society’s expectation of beauty & wellness and pressing in to have Him help her maintain a healthy temple aka. body, she is now free to be herself at her natural best.

Which caught my attention, and I had a conversation about it with God, with me mainly listening.

I am on the taller side of the spectrum with a medium build. I have never been, as a teen, below a size 10.   Have been a size 20 after giving birth at my heaviest. My natural weight seems to hover around a current size 12, which is likely the size 10 of my high school days.

My weight has gone out of control for one main reason. I overeat. Along with that comes the lack of energy, digestive issues, and when added to some food reactions and not dealing well with how I am feeling, is it any wonder. When I feel at my lowest, I don’t want to get moving or look at a vegetable.

But no longer.

I re-dedicated myself to God today. Asked Him to tear down the strongholds of gluttony and idolatry, and to set me free to seek my best for His glory. My body as His temple. I want Holy Spirit to be at home in me.

I can’t do it without Him. Been there, done that, not going back to Egypt again.

So the balance I am talking about comes from keeping my mind fixed on Him, my heart pure and worshipping God alone, my body under control, my strength found in deep rooted faith and trust.

One day at a time.

I will be choosing life and freedom. Walking with God.

Does that mean I will never enjoy another bag of potato chips or a coconut chocolate bar again?  No. But I will not be eating the big bag of chips, or the full bar. More like one small bowl or a snack size portion.

I also am cleaning out the other unwanted tenants: Depression, loneliness, abandonment, homeliness.
See you later in Jesus’ Name.
I kick you out, coz I am no longer partnering with you.
It’s time to move out, coz I have a roommate who needs more space for His art studio and garden. This temple is under major renovation as He retrofits His design.

Welcome into your bigger space, Holy Spirit.
I hope You make Yourself at home, and let me know if there are other tenants who need to be evicted.
I look forward to our talks to come over tea, and your words of wisdom as You guide me towards Your best for me. I anticipate unveiling a redesigned temple some day soon.