God Our Refuge

As my summer semester goes on I grow increasingly tired... and with that grumpy, spacey, and groggy.. Today I was really feeling this tiredness. I started babysitting last week as an additional job, and I absolutely love it. I adore the kids I am working with. I love working with children overall too. But between clinical, exams, homework, readings, etc., working at the hospital, babysitting, eating, getting food, keeping up with friends and family - the times for rest are few and far between. Today, the dad of the kiddos came home early so I got to go home early!!! yayyy!!! So I took advantage of this time and well was going to go to mass, but went like over an hour before so I could get some good prayer time in, and then my hunger took precedence because I was getting mighty low on glucose, so I ended up not staying for mass, but I took much time in prayer, in silence, and it was so good.

My prayer today really started with expressing my tiredness because I did not sleep well last night. I woke up at like 330 and woke up every hour after that until I had to get up.. not fun. Yesterday in my prayer time I was convicted in many ways, and the Lord was once again showing me how He is my refuge. Yesterday I made it to daily mass and well yesterday was a little rough. I woke up an hour later than I should have and could have been late to clinical, but I was good, but it just started out a stressful day. So by the time I slowed down at mass I was overwhelmed with this intense anxiety - so leading up to communion I began praying for peace, for the Lord to still me. And even after receiving communion I felt this anxiety, but slowly it faded away. And the priest who celebrated mass had an extended silence after he had put everything away and it was in this time of silence that I felt the peace of Christ come over me. After the conclusion of mass I knelt and prayed, giving thanks, and as I got up to leave I was just struck and paused in silence at how the Lord was just providing so much for me, in how He was being my refuge and my strength.

In vespers yesterday there was a line somewhere that says "making peace by the blood of his cross". His cross. I was really struck by the translation - it's not the cross, it's his cross. Jesus' cross, that he took upon himself for the peace of the world, and the salvation of my soul, for gift of eternal and abundant life. I'm just going to share the one-liners that all stood out to me last night in prayer that showed me how Christ is our refuge.

Cast all your cares on Christ because he cares for you. 
The God of all grace will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish those who have suffered a little while. 
Making peace through the blood of his cross. 
Peace in God. 

In times when we are struggling, when we are exhausted, when we are feeling the weight of our cross Christ is with us. He wants us to cast our cares on him. He will restore us, and strengthen us. Our peace is found in him. He is our refuge.

I encourage you all, as you get caught in the busy-ness of this world, turn to Christ. Seek peace in him. Make time for him in your day. He will rescue you. He will renew you, restore you, rejuvenate your soul.