…He who has entered His rest has himself (herself) also ceased from his (her) works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest.
I have been an over-achiever since I was a child. I came from a home that was very poor, with an alcoholic father. My way of coping was to do everything better than anyone else. I dreamed that I would get out of the life I had as a child, get married, have 2 or 3 kids, and live “happily ever after.” The common denominator in this is “I.”
Of course, living with a fighting mother and father, I didn’t know how to be a good wife; I didn’t have a good example. But I was determined. In 8th grade, I went to a church with a friend, and stayed for 21 years. My feet hit the floor running. I volunteered for everything. I could do it all and I could do it with excellence. There is the “I” again.
I grew up, graduated, and got married. Again, my hands and feet went into action. I bet I had the cleanest house of any one, and that is not an exaggeration. I was obsessed! Then it was time to have those children. They would be the prettiest, most well-mannered, and the BEST. But there were no children…It was a downward spiral that wouldn’t stop. And then divorce.
A baby learns to sit first before they crawl, walk or talk. The Christian life should also start this way. God “raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). How well we work depends on how well we sit in His rest because of the finished work of Jesus.
The children of Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because they didn’t sit in His rest. I wandered in the wilderness for many years because I did not learn to sit in His rest before I learned to stand and walk in His presence. I was not taught the finished work of Jesus was all it took.
As most of you know, I am now married to Dewitt, a man after God’s own heart. And he is a true servant. We just had our 21st anniversary last week, and our life together is good. We do rest in the Lord together. Has our married life always been great? No…we didn’t start our life as we should have, serving the Lord. But since we have been at Harvest, we are growing leaps and bounds in our walk and in our marriage. We still do volunteer, but I have said “no” also. It has been a struggle, but we are so happy and enjoying a blessed life.
If I can be of any help to anyone that is just starting their lives together, that is my prayer. Don’t do the way I did. Start in His rest.
So today:
If you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…be diligent to enter that rest.
This post was written by Debbie Crosby. To read more about her, click here.
If my life lately has a metaphor, it’s the Good Friday through Easter holiday. Frankly, I’ve been stuck on Good Friday (that awful day) for a while! My husband and I have weathered deaths, our parents’ changing health (including my mom having a major heart attack and going into full cardiac arrest in front of me), my husband retiring from farming, various other major life changes, and our son graduating from Tech and moving 10 hours away. Those things plus the everyday-ness of life has just be A LOT lately. It’s been the Friday before Easter in our lives for many months.
The year was 2012, and our son Logan was graduating from high school and moving away to college. I found myself in a bit of a panic, thinking, “Yikes! Have I instilled in him every value I want him to live by?” Well…the answer is hopefully yes but probably not (As a parent, you’re encouraged by that, I’m sure).
Last week, I had to go to the store after work—and then Howell went with me again after I got home because of an important item I’d forgotten in my hasty visit.
Moments are what truly make up the fabric of my time these days. With a toddler in tow, anything and everything can change in a moments time. Peace can turn to chaos, to-do lists float out the window to the sweet land of “Mañana” (Where nothing ever really gets done ‘Tomorrow’), and a moment to myself translates into little fingers creeping under the bathroom door. So for me, it is easy to let moments tic-tock right out of my memory and go by unnoticed while the next moment of my day begins.
Starting my mornings off in my cozy bed with my personalized Bible verse has really been a positive action for me. Rise and shine! 
Helen Teeple is our guest writer today. She has been married for over 46 years, and has 2 sons, Brian & Keith. They have 1 granddaughter and 3 grandsons. Helen has been a BSN, RN for over 45 years. “I knew I want to be a nurse when I was 6 years old. When a RN friend called me to come to work as a Hospice Nurse I felt God was preparing me for the season of my life I am experiencing now.”
Growing up, I always had a plan. Every January, my parents would pull out the calendar and we would plan events, vacations, school obligations, and sports activities for the entire year. My summers were spent doing math and science workbooks, including SAT and ACT prep. Our family schedules were synchronized and carefully executed.
“Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved?” Song of Solomon 8:5
Even after being raised as the only girl among brothers, this little lady had some eye-opening learning curves to scale as a young wife to a real-live, flesh-and-blood man and a mother of two rough-and-tumble sons. Oh, I should have been used to the constant wrestling, the competing, the bleeding…the frequent stitches, athletic events, and sheetrock repairs. However, when I found myself yoked together with the love of my life and responsible for managing our active household of little lads whom I absolutely adored, I’m afraid my uber-responsible, controlling side rared up and rather ruled the day.
During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2016. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2017!
Women's Ministry 