Stretch out your hands....
This season in life has brought much change. Almost too much it seems at times.
Have you been in a similar place?
You feel like if ONE more thing changes, you will just curl up in a ball on the floor sucking your thumb into oblivion.
As I was driving down the road a few days ago, thoughts were consuming my heart. I was mentally trying to control/fix the seemingly falling apart things in my life.
From one child to the next. Then on to my husband. Then on to family and friends. Then on to my own life.
I was weaving together thoughts like a seamstress trying to sew a dress with very little thread and no pattern.
Lost.
I was lost in my anxious and racing thoughts.
Then, I heard a whisper in my heart.
A very faint one. Almost too faint to hear.
"Stretch our your hands to me Jill. Palms up."
I thought this was the craziest thing I had ever heard. Huh?
I was clutching my steering wheel. A physical picture of what was going on in my heart.
Breathing out a long sigh, I opened up my hands and turned them palms up to the sky.
Immediately I felt His Peace.
It was two fold.
I felt the release of casting my burdens onto Jesus, and I felt the receiving of His Peace.
Release and Receive.
The next morning, I awoke earlier than usual. I finished my bible reading, so I opened up an email from a devotional. I hardly ever read these devotionals due to limited time in the morning.
This morning, I did.
The devotional was about the story of Jesus and the man with the withered hand found in the book of Luke.
Jesus told the man with the shriveled right hand to "Stretch out your hand."
As soon as the man did this, the man's hand was healed and completely restored.
Tears filled my eyes as I read this passage. Wow. Ok, Jesus, I hear you.
All day I thought about that passage. I would stretch out my hands from time to time when I felt the anxiety and crazy thoughts creeping back in.
The following morning I rose early again. My daily walk bible was in the car. I looked over to my right and found another small bible lying next to the couch.
I prayed before opening it. I told Jesus I needed to hear from Him. I needed HIS words. I had been in the Old Testament for a while, which I love, but this morning I needed the words of Jesus.
Slowly opening up my bible, I land right on Luke 6.
He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored.
My jaw dropped to the floor.
Three times. Three times He has led me to these words of His.
I hear you, Jesus.
Maybe you find yourself in a place of desperation. Of hopeless worry. Of out of control thoughts. Or ever changing situations.
I get it.
Now, stretch out your hands.
Palms facing up.
Release and Receive.
We may have to do this all day some days.
So, if you see me in the grocery store, or driving my car, and my palms are facing up stretched out...now you know why.
stretching out my hands,
jill
Have you been in a similar place?
You feel like if ONE more thing changes, you will just curl up in a ball on the floor sucking your thumb into oblivion.
As I was driving down the road a few days ago, thoughts were consuming my heart. I was mentally trying to control/fix the seemingly falling apart things in my life.
From one child to the next. Then on to my husband. Then on to family and friends. Then on to my own life.
I was weaving together thoughts like a seamstress trying to sew a dress with very little thread and no pattern.
Lost.
I was lost in my anxious and racing thoughts.
Then, I heard a whisper in my heart.
A very faint one. Almost too faint to hear.
"Stretch our your hands to me Jill. Palms up."
I thought this was the craziest thing I had ever heard. Huh?
I was clutching my steering wheel. A physical picture of what was going on in my heart.
Breathing out a long sigh, I opened up my hands and turned them palms up to the sky.
Immediately I felt His Peace.
It was two fold.
I felt the release of casting my burdens onto Jesus, and I felt the receiving of His Peace.
Release and Receive.
The next morning, I awoke earlier than usual. I finished my bible reading, so I opened up an email from a devotional. I hardly ever read these devotionals due to limited time in the morning.
This morning, I did.
The devotional was about the story of Jesus and the man with the withered hand found in the book of Luke.
Jesus told the man with the shriveled right hand to "Stretch out your hand."
As soon as the man did this, the man's hand was healed and completely restored.
Tears filled my eyes as I read this passage. Wow. Ok, Jesus, I hear you.
All day I thought about that passage. I would stretch out my hands from time to time when I felt the anxiety and crazy thoughts creeping back in.
The following morning I rose early again. My daily walk bible was in the car. I looked over to my right and found another small bible lying next to the couch.
I prayed before opening it. I told Jesus I needed to hear from Him. I needed HIS words. I had been in the Old Testament for a while, which I love, but this morning I needed the words of Jesus.
Slowly opening up my bible, I land right on Luke 6.
He looked around at them all, and then said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was completely restored.
My jaw dropped to the floor.
Three times. Three times He has led me to these words of His.
I hear you, Jesus.
Maybe you find yourself in a place of desperation. Of hopeless worry. Of out of control thoughts. Or ever changing situations.
I get it.
Now, stretch out your hands.
Palms facing up.
Release and Receive.
We may have to do this all day some days.
So, if you see me in the grocery store, or driving my car, and my palms are facing up stretched out...now you know why.
stretching out my hands,
jill
