Today I spent in bed. Actually I’ve spent the last three days in bed fighting off some nasty flu. I very rarely, if ever get sick and it got me thinking. When was the last time I spent three days in bed?
Then I remembered. It was close to seven and half years ago and I was very, very pregnant with our youngest child. My dad has died a week earlier; we had just had the funeral, and I was trying to draw all my strength and energy together for giving birth.
After numerous false alarms and dashes to the hospital in the early stages of labour, the midwife looked at me and said, “sometimes when you have been through something difficult your body will stop you from giving birth until you are more ready”. The lights went on inside my head and heart. I wasn’t ready, and was really struggling to get focused. This lovely midwife then said, “you are going to be okay, and when you are ready you will have this baby; so go home, rest, put a movie on and try to relax.”
So I did. My husband tucked me up into bed, put a very long movie on for me to watch, and refused to let me out of the bedroom to do anything for the next three days.
In those three days, I did what I had been struggling to find space in my head and heart to do. I rested, I talked to Jesus, and I trusted that everything was going to be okay. And sure enough when I was more together and ready in myself, our littlest son arrived safe and sound, and six days after his due date.
The special thing I learnt from that last time I was instructed to stay in bed is that, “God will not give us anything we can’t handle”, even if it means holding off having a very due baby so that you can have some more time, or delaying some important event, or altering plans so that we will be okay in the midst of it all. He sees, and knows, and if we don’t “push it” or ourselves we will be okay.
So today, I remembered the last time I was confined to bed and I had a cry, which I don’t think I did a lot of 7 years ago. And I thanked God for His grace, and ever-constant care for me, even amongst some really hard stuff.
I encourage you the next time you feel like you need to take some time, to take it; because in that time you will find the beginnings of healing, and strength to carry you through.
“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
Prayer: Jesus, thank you for your love for me, and that you know what I need much better than I do. Help me to regularly give myself time, and to understand that delays, or changes of plans are for my good. In Jesus Name. Amen