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"No matter where I am, your teachings fill me with songs." - Psalm 119:54 (CEV)

Sunday, February 3, 2013

How 10,000 Reasons Bring 10,000 Blessings


After less than six hours of sleep,

A day of running around,

The dirty dishes I washed,

Papers I cleaned up,

Chairs I organized,

I am trying to focus,

Get spirit to overcome tired body.


I think a lack of sleep produces a lack of love,

Makes my heart feel dead and cold,

And all the joy and desire I've finally been getting back (praise God!)

Slowly slip away

And I want them back

More than I want sleep.

Much more than I want sleep.


They're coming soon.

I don't know how many.

I don't know exactly how soon.

Twenty minutes,

Maybe thirty?

They're coming so that we can meet together,

Coming so that we can pray together,

Pour out our hearts to each other,

Then pour out our hearts to God,

Love Him.

Oh, to love Him.


And that's the problem.

I'm tired and worn-out and my spirit just feels dead,

And I want to.

I want to.

I open my Office program,

Pull up the document I haven't had time to add to in over a week,

And just stare.

Stare at beautiful words,

Words I pulled so carefully from a beautiful book,

And I think.

Hard.

Think of what the words mean,

What they say about Him,

Who He is.


The first one I know best of all.

If asked my favorite, it's the one I'd choose.

Because knowing it changes everything for me.
1.  He is (Exodus 3:6)
And, oh, to think about that!

To just bask in the truth of it,

And to know.

And then the second:
2.  He is who He is – and that never changes! (Exodus 3:14) 
Never!

Absolutely never!!!

I get through maybe the first eleven,

Thinking hard about who He is,

And my tired heart starts to move,

To love.


They come and we talk and we pray,

And it's the best prayer time I've been to in a long time.

So beautiful to be and to come and to love,

And this,

This was the reason I started counting ten thousand,

Because, to love God, I must know Him,

And, if I know Him, I won't be able to help but love Him.

And there are so many reasons,

So many more than I can count,

And they just keep coming back to me,

Right when I need them most,

All these blessings,

This beautiful glimpse of who God is.

Thank You.

Thank You.


I'm sorry I don't have any reasons to share with you this week.

Again, I've just been too busy,

And so, so tired.

Many things have gone by the wayside this week.

But maybe, as I did, you might want to look back?

There's not much point in going forward

If I'm not standing in awe of what I've already discovered.


Also, I think I'll be posting on the weekends from now on.

There simply isn't enough time during the week.

And it probably won't be on any consistent day, either.

Saturday, Friday, Sunday,

All depending on the week, on my schedule.

I wish I didn't have to change,

I like Wednesdays,

But I also like to sleep.


(Sylvia's already made it to - past - 10,000!  So amazing to think of who He is like this!)

<a href="http://maryschieferstein.blogspot.com/search/label/10000%20Reasons" target="_blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitidrfBKBWTHSBiWyh3WMRKjHFgYKk-RxjYB9-uePQb1-uI3t3bjysPnR65zloJJ0LgTqhT5kW70Rk8VOC2utXFUWhGRPIxNCqzZ_9YQryYPMJdj2XpiX0oawLUiMnmxFOeMkmjk3IIA/s320/10000ReasonsButton.jpg" /></a>

Counting in community:


8 comments:

Pam said...

I'm glad you had such a beautiful time of prayer. It does make all the difference. Your heart is very special to the Lord, Mary. And yes, rest is essential to being a student. Sounds like your decision to write on weekends is the best choice. Blessings on your week!

Christina said...

Focusing our heart on who He is, we can't help but warm in the light of His grace. I pray that He gives you rest and renewed strength.

CynthiaJSwenson said...

So good to visit here Mary! God loves us so much, even when we are exhausted & painfully aware of our deceitful hearts.I'm so glad I can't "deserve" God's love! He just keeps pouring His rich & wondrous undeserved mercy on us, all because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Praying you'll find deep rest for your body & soul, in Jesus, Love,Cynthia

Sylvia R said...

So many excellent thoughts in this post, Mary. Lack of sleep produces a lack of a lot of things, and there is so much in this life that can make us tired. I'm so glad you had a blessed prayer time. And I think I may just take your advice and do some looking back like the psalmists did. God bless.

Mary said...

Thank you, Pam! It really does make all the difference! Your heart is special to Him, too, Pam - and is always such a blessing to me! Blessings to you, too, friend!

Mary said...

Oh, yes, Christina! When we see who He is, it always brings such warmth and joy! Thank you for your prayers, friend.

Mary said...

So good to see your words, Cynthia! He really does love us so much, and it is so amazing, especially to know that when we see the depths of sin in our hearts most clearly! It truly is undeserved, and it is truly amazing that He just keeps pouring and pouring grace and mercy on us, that Jesus died so He could do that! Such beauty in the Gospel, such undeserved Grace! Praying for rest for you, too, friend.

Mary said...

Thank you, Sylvia! It is so true that lack of sleep has profound effects upon us, and it is so easy to not get enough rest! I hope you are able to look back, and to see what you've already seen, see it again, as though with new eyes, because you're always longing to see more of Him! God bless you, too, friend!

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