Rest for the weary soul

I read a great reminder for those of us who may be experiencing pain in life these days - self inflicted or not. Pain hurts! Going through stuff hurts and causes us to be restless at times.

Here is my reminder found in Matthew 11:28:

28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." [The Message]

I like that. That's comforting. I need to learn His unforced rhythms of grace.

Are worn out by life?

Lessons learned from Shawshank Redemption

Now I know this movie came out in 1994 and really didn't do very well in the box office. Since, it's gained a great following and has become one of the all-time greats - go figure!

I have it on DVD and have been meaning to re watch it for some time. I don't analyze films much, if at all ... but in review, there was some really cool themes in the movie. If you haven't watched the movie these may not make sense (I don't want to give too much away - No Spoilers!)

Lesson 1: HOPE - (see this too)
"Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." We all need it, and it sustains even the weakest of hearts.

Lesson 2: Persistence
It's a main Hollywood theme. Tell somebody can't do something and you have a movie character people pull for. Rocky Balboa and Rudi - the little Notre Dame walk on - are two off the top of my head.

You feel that way with Andy, the lead character. Wanting to expand the prison library with no available funds, Andy writes a letter a week until given a little money and a few books. Not satisfied, he writes two letters a week and finally gets adequate help.

Lesson 3: Live in the Moment
One of my favorite lines in the movies goes, "Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying." How many times do we truly enjoy the moments in our lives? If we don't do the things in our life that make us happy allowing us to truly live, then we are simply working on dying.

Alcoholics Anonymous has a saying that goes: "You're either working on recovery or you're working on a relapse." Enjoy the moments, the relationships, the process before one day we look back and the moments are gone. (Boy aren't I reflective!)

Spend more time with family and friends. Tell loved ones how much!

The movie is rated R by the MPAA - language and prison violence

HOPE

Anne Jackson is good at asking questions. Today (Aug. 19) she asked: What makes the Church different?

We offer HOPE. I think God that I wake up with HOPE. Things aren't perfect - far from it. But HOPE is the anchor in my heart that my existence is not about taking up space.

HOPE is a powerful force that goes way beyond wishing! It's an expectation that secures belief when everything around screams "give up!" Here are a few thoughts of inspiration:

Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.

Ephesians 2:12
remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.\

Ephesians 4:4
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—

1 Timothy 4:10
(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.

Hebrews 6:19
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.
Psalm 42:11
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Ephesians 1:18
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Hope

I read this today and it echoed what I was feeling in my heart. In light of the pain going on in the world - not just hear in America but world wide - We all need hope!

I read this definition of hope ...

Hope = confident expectation in who God is in the midst of any situation.

Confident - how does one obtain confidence?
Expectation - what is the difference between a healthy and unhealthy expectation? 

I am digging into with his definition.