“The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things.”(Acts 17:24, 25)

Over the past six months, our family has experienced monumental change. There's been instability. There's been intense mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical endurance. There's been celebration and grieving. There's been prayer and praise. Through it all, God's grace was real. So real. Weariness was also very real. Second, to only one other event in my life's story, this has been the most challenging. Through this journey, one of the most significant lessons I learned in this crash course on grace has been God's mercy to allow me to just "be" with Him. I've never thought of myself as being legalistic about my time in prayer and study of God's Word. I love my time each day to just consume His truth. There were days, however, during this journey when I'd get up to have my quiet time and literally didn't have the strength to open my Bible. It's my place of refreshing. How could this be? I wrestled with unexpected guilt over it.

For weeks on end, I found myself just sitting with Jesus, just sitting, just talking to Him, and, sometimes crying to Him. Other times, absolutely silent. Sometimes the groans of my heart were being translated to the Father in ways I couldn't understand. I learned the power of presence. Nothing takes the place of the healing power of God's word in our lives. But, my sisters, there are treasures and mending to be enjoyed simply by sitting in the all-consuming power and presence of our Savior. Today, may you experience the love of Christ that not only allows you but invites you to simply be. He will lift your head and steady your heart as you do.