On Resting Like Jocelyn

Time with a child can bring inspiration; having a child can bring transformation.


Our daughter, Jocelyn Ariana Danielle Gilmore, was born June 29 at 8:23 am. She is a healthy beautiful baby. Like most new parents, my wife and I are finding a new rhythm to life with her. The one thing that has been compromised the most is rest. Whatever we thought about missing sleep before, we really had no idea. Jocelyn requires consistent attention and devotion. - Though this may seem taxing (and at times it is), it is much easier to do than you would think. When your child needs something, there is something in you that just kind of kicks into gear. It is an amazing testimony of the relationship God creates between parents and children. - All this said, I now have a much deeper appreciation for rest. When you can get it, take it. When you take it, value it.

Other interesting observations about rest have come from Jocelyn herself. Babies need lots of sleep. Yet, they need certain things done in order to sleep well. God has been sharing with me the similarities between Jocelyn’s physical rest and our spiritual rest. In order to have spiritual rest, we can model these behaviors in our relationship with God.

Jocelyn rests easiest when…

She is near my heart. When we place Jocelyn on our chest, she is comforted. She knows who we are, trusts us, and feels safe in our presence. Likewise, we must be close to God’s heart in order to be at rest. We must know Him, trust Him, and rely on Him. Exodus 33:14 below

She has been fed. Ok, you knew this already, but when she eats, she is ready to rest easy. (It’s actually quite funny – her eyes roll back when she’s done and she starts to fall asleep immediately.) Similarly, we must eat/drink the sincere milk of the word in order to be satisfied and strengthened. One of the most practical ways we can receive from God is right under our noses – from the Bible. I Peter 2:2 below

She has been cleaned/changed. After a bath or after changing a dirty diaper (oddly, you get used to this too), Jocelyn is usually ready to sleep. She feels refreshed and is comforted by being clean. This is the same in the spirit with us – we become dirty with sin and need to be forgiven and cleansed. Even if we don’t sin, we can become complacent and need to be changed. We must seek purity, holiness, sanctification, or as I like to put it, better-ness. Psalm 34:14 below

Finally, there was another way I just found out to give Jocelyn rest. The other morning, she was lying next to me and I simply put my hand on her and she went to sleep. It was amazing. I did nothing more than gently place my hand on her chest. It was here that God revealed to me His desire for us. We can have rest when His hand is on our lives. Every day we can walk in His peace, in His rest when we know He is covering us. I leave with a scripture from Job that sums this up… Job 22:21 – Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee.

Grateful,

j.a.g.

Thank You Lord for the blessing of a child. Please allow me to continue learning from her. Thank You for rest in You. Please forgive me for times when I am impatient, unclean, or unaware. Allow me to be sensitive to Your Spirit and Your hand on my life. I believe that as I trust in You, You will give me perfect peace and perfect rest. Finally, Lord please bless those who are troubled in their spirits. Give them a peace about their lives, their decisions, and their place with You. Thank You in advance.

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Exodus 33:14 – And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.

I Peter 2:2 – As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.

Psalm 34:14 – Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

On Spiritual (ESPN) Distractions

Yesterday, Ashley and I went to Indianapolis for a doctor’s visit and to attend the Glory to Glory Conference at Cathedral of Praise COGIC. We were not sure if we would go due to the weather forecast – there was a flood warning in Bloomington and thunderstorms were expected throughout the area. We talked about it, prayed, and decided to go in faith that God would watch over our trip.

What we experienced was a reminder of the significance of focusing on the spirit. At the conference, the preacher spoke about many things, but what resonated was his celebration of the Holy Ghost (or Holy Spirit) as an essential part of victorious living. Christians have been given the Holy Ghost, promised through Jesus Christ (John 16:7, below), to empower their witness and allow them to live in love. Last night was a powerful experience of God’s desire for all believers, a life of fruitfulness through His Spirit.

Personally, this reached me because lately there has been one thing that has tried to distract me from focusing on things of the spirit. That is sports. Wow, I said it… My name is Jeremy and I am addicted to sports. I watch ESPN at least once daily and monitor my fantasy baseball team during work hours, during home hours, and other hours in between. Recently, I have begun to pull back from this hobby because I noticed it was consuming too much of my time and thoughts. (I should say that there is nothing wrong with having a hobby – in fact, we NEED hobbies, they give us balance, perspective, and variety in life – but when a hobby makes demands that limit your spirituality, it has become a distraction.) Last night, the preacher articulated why I need to control things that threaten to steal my effectiveness as God’s child. He said “de-emphasize the flesh, and you maximize the spirit”.

That is the thought that I carry with me today and moving forward. My flesh, or human nature, focuses on being entertained, my spirit should focus on being like God. Simply put, if I am seeking to be more like the heavenly Father, I have to make the spirit of God a priority in my life. As we arrived home after our trip, I realized that in the 9 hours we were gone yesterday, it only rained for 5 minutes. Indeed, God held back the flood and storms (our own Red Sea experience - Exodus 14:21-22, below)! He must have been seeing if we were going to travel in faith or be distracted by doubt. I’m glad we trusted the spirit…




Lord, thank You for last night. Thank You for the Holy Ghost. Thank You for obedience. Please let us hear Your voice and live in the Spirit daily. Give us the strength and wisdom to remove distractions. We have to seek His leading, be open to His instruction, and utilize the gifts he’s given us for Your glory. It is an awesome task to be used as Your child. Let us remember this when we are tempted to become distracted, even by innocent activities. I love You and thank You for all things.





Grateful for the blog-iversary,
j.a.g.








John 16:7 (NASB)
"But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.”


Exodus 14:20-21 (NASB)
21...and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
22And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.