I Don't Have To Be Strong

The Lord taught me a very important lesson today, and I am yet again amazed by His faithfulness and mercy. My 11 month old, Noah, has double ear infections and the poor thing was up all night last night crying, running a fever, and throwing up. I got a grand total of two hours of sleep, and those were not consecutive hours. So starting my day this morning just seemed like a daunting task and much more than I could bear. Then it's like the Lord spoke in my ear and said, "You don't have to be strong. You don't have to be energetic. Just draw everything you need from Me today." Never have I felt such a sense of peace and relief! It was okay that I was tired and feeling grumpy - I didn't have to summon strength up from within myself to get through my day. I just needed to allow the Lord to work through me today. And do you know that not once today have I felt tired or sleepy?

This little lesson I learned during the early part of my day has applied very nicely to my evening. We are under tornado warnings for the next couple of hours and have been since this afternoon. It is such a comfort to know that I don't have to drum up courage for the sake of my kids (or myself.) I'm just leaning on the Lord. It's okay to not be in control, and to feel uncomfortable and fearful. I don't draw courage from myself. I rely on the Lord for my safety and security. If I'm relying on Him, there's no need or even space for fear. I'm leaning on my Lord and casting all my cares upon Him.