My phone has been a little slow lately. I’ve only had it a matter of months, but it still seems to take forever to load when I use certain apps. It’s likely I need to delete a few pictures- my storage space fills up quickly with pictures of toddler feet, tops of heads, ceiling pics, floor pics, and everything in between. Then again, I have added a few new games that may be filling up some space(and more time than necessary some
days). Not to mention the shopping apps I would rather not count and all of the apps I have related to billing, banking, and finances. Honestly, I don’t like my phone to have a bunch of pointless apps on it or a thousand pictures from my toddlers photography practice. It slows things down and requires me to reload and refresh pages far more often than I would like. Things don’t run smoothly, efficiently, or effectively.

The same is true of life. We all know we are far too busy. We have too many “apps” we have to keep up with and more things to fill our time than we know what to do with. We have to reload our everyday pages and update our mental schedules regularly just to keep track of it all. If you are like me, you probably aren’t running as smoothly, efficiently, or as effectively as you could be. However, the most difficult part is when an “app” starts acting up; when something unexpected happens and freezes everything.

There are so many events in life that can do this. Even the slightest mishap seems to set the whole day, month, or year askew. A big, recent one for me was our car accident in October that affected the last 3 months(and is still affecting us). For you it may be something different that is bogging you down, filling up your memory, or just overloading you. Either way, it might just be time for a reset.

It’s time to clear some space in your head (and life) and make room for only the most important things. Time to get back to the basics. Time to eliminate the distractions(if only for a time). Mark 1:35 tells us even Jesus needed time to reset. Solitude.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Mark 1:35

I love that we are not only told that Jesus needed solitude, but that he used the time to pray. How much more straight-forward could the bible be? Need a refresh? Pray.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul… ”(emphasis added) Psalm 23:1-3a

“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.” Isaiah 40:31

“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint” Jeremiah 31:25

Need to be renewed? Refreshed? Restored? Turn to the Jehovah-Rapha: The Lord who heals. Feeling lost and needing hope? Pray to none other than Jehovah-Nissi(The Lord our Banner), a banner of hope when we are in the midst of battle. Convinced you are invisible? El Roi(The God who sees). Abandoned? Jehovah Shammah(The Lord is There). Lacking in provisions? Jehovah-Jireh(the Lord will Provide). Unsure of what you need to be renewed? El Shaddai. God Almighty. God who Nourishes, blesses, and sustains us.

When Jesus went away to pray(as he did on multiple occasions), he was going away to be refreshed, renewed, and restored, but not just by anyone. He went to the one and only God. Our God. A God who needs an immeasurable amount of names just to describe who he is and what he is capable of. God who restores our soul, renews our strength, and refreshes the weary.

Ephesians 3 tells us God is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask for or imagine and for that I say, “Thank you, Jesus”, because I have a GREAT imagination.

I don’t know about you, but when I am overloaded with life, beit busyness, stress, emotions, physical health, or any added challenge really, I am relieved to know the One in whom I can find rest. I am refreshed when I cast my cares on Him. And renewed when I put my hope back in Him.

I’m not perfect, and I’m assuming you aren’t either, and because of it, my life has become bogged down. I have what seems like an endless number of things on my mind and even more that I need to do schedule, plan for, lead in, you name it. I need more time for all of my “supposed-to-dos”, but truthfully, I need to clear my heart and mind. So, I plan to take some time this week to reset; time to be renewed by God; time to be refreshed; and I hope you will do the same.

Then, when it’s all said and done, I think I will clear out my phone.

Natalya Ables
Children’s Director