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An Unexpected Gift

Nancy Reece · Jul 13, 2021 · 1 Comment

For most of my life, Sundown was a Gordon Lightfoot song. When Mom was diagnosed with dementia, sundown took on a whole new meaning. Each afternoon, Mom’s level of confusion, anxiety and agitation would rise as the sun slowly set. She would become fixated on something that was out of place or an upcoming event she didn’t want to miss. She might ask the same question 50 times in 90 minutes. “When’s my hair appointment?”, “Where’s the light?” , or “Why is the fan on?” After hearing the same question even 10 times, I often had to bite my tongue and sometimes leave the room so I wouldn’t snap at her.

My Dad, however, had an immense amount of patience in the face of her unending questions. As Mom’s disease progressed, his ability to answer repetitive questions over and over again with the same gentle, yet firm response, showed me a side of my Dad I hadn’t known. He never got angry, was exceptionally patient, and showed her grace and mercy. As Mom’s slowly lost her mind, I realized just how much Dad loved her. He would sacrifice his needs, dreams and even his life to make sure Mom knew she was safe and loved.

Dad showed me a side of God I hadn’t seen before. I can ask God anything over and over again and always know his love and patience are boundless. God loves me so much that He sacrificed his Son who gave up his life to make sure I knew I was safe and loved. From the awful loss and pain of Alzheimer’s emerged an unexpected gift – joy in God’s enduring love.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you are with me. Psalm 23:4

The Lord, The Lord, a compassionate and merciful God, patient, always faithful and ready to forgive. Exodus 34:6

God Is with Me

Nancy Reece · Dec 22, 2020 · Leave a Comment

Six months into starting my own business, the dread of having to sell my services, the lack of consistent income, and a feeling of incompetence had me focusing on my fears. I needed a place where I could pour out my fears to the Lord and listen. God seemed far away.

Retreating to Nature

Penuel Ridge Retreat Center provided that place to retreat to nature, providing time and space to stop the swirling in my mind. God had often spoken to me through his creation and I was trusting He would again. I began slowing down and watching birds feed. I didn’t realize how tired I was until I woke a couple of hours later from a deep nap. After spending the evening reading, reflecting, and journaling, the swirling fears in my mind were slowly being replaced by tiny moments of peace. If He provides for the birds, how much more would He for me? God was near.

Listening to God

The next morning, ready to listen to God, I explored the High Ridge Trail. The path was covered in brown leaves, broken twigs and branches, the aftermath of a cold winter. The trail was steep, and my lungs strained. Halfway up, a small bench appeared. As I rested, I noticed a sea of spring beauties, tiny flowers of pink, shining amidst the dead leaves of winter. They reminded me that He calls us to rest and to wait patiently for Him. I journaled about how starting a business is full of strenuous climbs and often feels like a cold winter. Just as I couldn’t climb that mountain without rest, Jesus was reminding me I can’t fight my daily battles without times of quiet and rest each day.

At the top of the ridge, a yellow butterfly rested on the path. As I approached, it flew on ahead and landed. Over and over, it led me down the path, as if the Holy Spirit was leading me. When it alighted, I would sit and listen. I journaled that God would be with me as my business progressed. He would make known to me the path of life. Just as there was joy in following the butterfly, in His presence is abundant joy.

Choosing Quiet

Descending down the other side of the ridge, I saw a waterfall – living water, refreshing my soul. After hiking, I spent several hours in quiet, realizing my fears had been washed away as I talked with Jesus, my living water. God is with me. He always is.

You will show me the path that leads to life; your presence fills me with joy and brings me pleasure forever. Psalm 16:11

Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7

“If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” John 4:10

The Red Thread

Nancy Reece · Oct 18, 2020 · Leave a Comment

When I left the corporate world a few years ago, I made a choice to get away and seek a time of rest, renewal, and preparation for a new season of service. I decided to go through ten years of prayer journals to discover red threads of wisdom the Lord was teaching me. While some red threads were one to two years in length, there was only one ten-year long thread.

For that entire period, and quite frankly years before, God was working in my heart to teach me about slowing down and spending time with Him. But slowing down and spending time with Him and others competed with my tightly scheduled calendar.

Not long after discovering this red thread, I spent two and a half hours over lunch with a friend. It wasn’t planned that way, but there wasn’t anything on my calendar I had to do. We caught up, shared insights, and encouraged each other. More time helped us listen better, ask thoughtful questions, and speak into each other’s lives in a fresh way. It was the first time in my life I’d ever made that kind of time for someone over lunch. As I was driving home, I realized the many times I had cut short a conversation that was important in order to make the next meeting. I began allowing much more time for meetings, conversations, and lunch, providing space and time for God to work. And the red thread of relationship has become more important than my calendar and to-do list.

‘Spend time with me, slow down, and experience rest and relationship. Find peace for your soul. I will give you My heart that values people over success, self, and stuff. My heart that listens, loves and encourages. My heart that deeply cares about people.’

Psalm 62:1 My soul finds rest in God alone.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. (MSG)

Choosing True Rest

Nancy Reece · Oct 5, 2020 · Leave a Comment

In January 2012, I returned from a 30-day sabbatical and 1400 emails had accumulated on my computer. I deleted them all with the touch of a key – never reading one of them. It felt great!

2011 had been a tough year. The year was marked by the death of my father and my mother’s ravaging of dementia. And the difficulties continued. While working with a client, I unexpectedly found myself in the path of Hurricane Sandy. In the midst of the storm, I heard the Lord tell me to take a time of rest. I realized that the past year had been a lot like a hurricane. His gentle love and wisdom were guiding me.

After making the decision to take a break, I resolved not to read my email while on sabbatical and to delete it unread when I returned. It was important to communicate clearly to my clients that I would not be answering email or phone, nor would I be reading any email that came in while I was gone. In the past, I would review email while on vacation because I didn’t want to be overwhelmed by it later. I knew my myself well enough to know that if I didn’t make a commitment to deleting those emails unread, I would cheat! And cheating would have diminished the true rest I was seeking.

I returned from a truly restful sabbatical. The response from my clients was overwhelmingly positive when they realized I had actually deleted the unread emails. God gave me the courage and determination to choose real rest and it was a catalyst for others to do so as well. His gentle love and wisdom will give you the same courage and determination to choose true rest.

Job 11:18 Having hope will give you courage. You will be protected and will rest in safety.

Psalm 23:2-3 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength.

Choosing Calm in a Season of Sheltering

Nancy Reece · Mar 27, 2020 · 6 Comments

I went for a walk yesterday and was singing Raise A Hallelujah at the top of my lungs. The words of the song – I raise a hallelujah, with everything inside of me; I raise a hallelujah, I will watch the darkness flee, I raise a hallelujah, fear you lost your hold on me – brought peace and calm in the middle of this season of fear and panic in our world.

Choosing Praise over Fear

About two weeks ago, I wasn’t exactly experiencing calm. On Thursday March 12^th, when we were aware of the virus and a couple of days before things went crazy at the grocery stores, I came home and told my husband I had a spirit of heaviness. His response surprised me: “Good, the Lord has a word for you”. I knew there was a verse about the spirit of heaviness in the Bible and found Isaiah 61:3. God tells us to exchange the spirit of heaviness for the garment of praise. The Lord did indeed have a word for me and I had a choice to make.

Choosing Time with Jesus

I went to my “Battle Songs” playlist – Surrounded, Waymaker, God of Angel Armies, Victor’s Crown, and Raise a Hallelujah (just a few) – and experienced a time of praise and worship that displaced that spirit of heaviness. As I chose praise, worship, prayer, and joy, I experienced the sheltering garment of praise. I know I also have to choose time with Jesus in solitude, stillness and silence. Solitude is one of the ways we abide in Him; his promise is to produce fruit when we abide. That fruit is peace, patience, faithfulness and a spirit of power, love and self-discipline…Galatians 5:22-23 & 2 Tim 1:7.

Choosing Connection

The Lord also had a second word for me on that day as well. When God created man, He said it was not good for man to be alone.(Gen 2:18) Yet we find ourselves sheltering in place and the enemy of our souls will use this to produce loneliness, isolation, fear, and despair. It is important for us to reach out to one another and stay connected – via phone calls, video calls, facetime – any way we can see and encourage one another. Staying home doesn’t mean we have to disconnect.

Choosing Joy

In this season of sheltering at home, I don’t have any excuses to not spend time at Jesus’ feet. As you walk out your days in these times of sacrifice and struggle, here are some choices you can make to help yourself and others – and to experience calm and peace.

Spend time each day in quiet with Jesus. List things you are grateful for in this time of trial. Praise him for those things.
Limit your exposure to 24/7 news.
Really stay home. It will make a difference.
Listen for the Spirit’s wisdom and ask him who you should connect with today. Connect purposefully. Allow time for an in-depth conversation should it emerge.
Create and listen to a “battle songs” playlist that will encourage you and sooth your soul.
Claim God’s promises. 2 Peter 1:4
Choose joy – 1 Peter 1:6
Above all, pray for repentance, realignment and restoration for our broken world.