Love Is In The Pause

This is more of a devotional type post than I usually share...And it is a bit of a personal stretch for me to do so as I tend to be very private about these things. But Love is worth sharing...And I share this in Love.

"Love is in the pause"
That phrase is some thing God has been speaking to me for the past several months.

I have been really wanting to change how I respond to the ones I love the most. Kids can be so frustrating and caring for them can feel so draining. There really is no "give and take" it often feels like "take and take some more!" and I am often exasperated and at the end of my rope in dealing with the relentlessness of it all.

A few months ago (maybe even last summer) I asked God how the heck I was supposed to love them better when I was so frustrated? How in the world could I change my responses? When I am in the middle of an exasperated moment and I just want to ...fill in the blank inappropriate reaction here... What am I supposed to DO?

I can't fabricate gentleness. I can't muscle through when I feel all that angry energy in every fiber of my being. I can't get space. I can't do any thing. I feel paralyzed!

He said, "Love is in the pause, Hannah Joy. Love is in the pause."

The pause as you inhale ready to roar with frustration. The pause before you say some thing you'll regret.

Right now I am reading through the Devotional by Heidi and Rolland Baker "Reckless Devotion 365 Days Into the Heart of Radical Love"  it's really just a daily short story about loving and serving others, definitely inspiring and I highly recommend it! Today's reading really stood out to me...

As we cooperate with the Holy Spirit inside us, we will notice His influence flowing out of us into the ordinary situations of life. His love is expressed in the routine, unremarkable moments- not just on special occasions. And as we share His love with others, day by day, we are healed, changed, transformed grown. (p. 11)

 I sat there thinking, HOW? And Jesus said, "Love is in the Pause."

And Hebrews 4 passed through my heart.

Hebrews 4 is all about REST. And while some mention of sabbath rest is made, I don't think that's what the author was really getting at.

"Enter the rest."

It is talking about openness with Holy Spirit.

Love is in the pause. Enter the rest isn't about striving, muscling through, scrounging up false enthusiasm or spirituality.  It is the PAUSE. Where you turn the eyes of your heart away from your frustration and turn it to Jesus, LOVE. Love is in the pause and Grace is in the rest. Stopping all the "shoulds" and momentum, and meeting with Love.

When you rest and pause God's word (and His Word is Jesus and Jesus is LOVE) can pierce the division of soul and spirit, joint and marrow, thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12-13) and you can meet with Love. Love, Who experienced it all, and sympathizes in your struggle. Who intercedes from the throne of Grace. (Hebrews 4:15-16)

Love is in the pause.

Stop looking at your exhuastion, frustrations, fear, and worries.

Rest. Turn away and meet Love in the pause.

Inhale Holy Spirit.
Exhale His Love.

He is able to richly provide what you need...All in one deep breath.

Love is in the pause.

Grace is in the rest.

Hebrews 4.

That little phrase has been very helpful to me over the last several months, it certainly hasn't solved or stopped all my temper tantrums, big feelings, or bad moments. But it has curbed many...It is changing me slowly as I allow LOVE to move and do what it does best: change and fill.

Love is in the Pause, what chain reaction can practicing 1 small pause a day bring to life?

This week I want to pause more than once a day...