The Call To Just Lay Down

I spent last week volunteering at a camp for foster children. I was paired up with a girl who had been to this camp 2 times before and I poured, and I poured, and I squeezed every drop of Jesus I could find in me out over her heart. She was comfortable in knowing what to expect at camp and I felt called to challenge her to go a little further with God this time.

As soon as I got home from my week long mission, the hits started and they just kept coming. Life everywhere had moved on while I was gone. Suddenly I was battling my fleshy, nasty reactions to people who hurt, or were hurt {and I didn't understand the hows or whys} , or made me feel altogether obsolete.

Not needed.
Not invited.
Not heard.
Not "friend".
Not thought of.
Not visible.

These lies have been dancing around in my mind for the past 7 days. Every day I lay them down and every day they jump back up and try to take me down again. It's in the tones of voice I hear. It's in the looks on faces. It's in the "no reply" I receive. It's in the silliest things that don't mean anything, except I get hurt by those too somehow.

I began to fight but I grew so weary. Have you ever been there? Fighting that fight against that nagging thing until your arms hurt...until you're so tired you could cry?

Last night I was listening to Jason Upton's song Fly and it broke me. He sang these words:

Some of you've been fighting for a very long time

Some of you've been fighting that ground warfare for a very long time

Sticking out your fists and fighting

God wants to take us to new places

New revelation

New perspective

Aerial View

I declare over you 

God has given you the air

God has given you the air so fly

It's time to spread out your wings

It's time to shake off the things that hold you down

It's time to spread out your wings and fly

Just fly

The first part is what I've been completely guilty of. I've been trying to fight these attacks on my own. Oh, I pray and spend time with God, but then I turn right around and start swinging again. I want the truth to be the only whispers in my ear and I clutter up the sounds I hear with my own war cry.

The second verse of that is the truth I needed to hear. "God has given you the air". It's not about fighting these battles on the ground. It's about surrendering the battles to Him and flying above them in peace. True surrender doesn't ask me to fight again - it asks me to lay it down and leave it there, not to pick it up again.

Jason finishes his song with this:

I have given you wings 

I have set you free from the things that held you

I have given you wings

I have set you free so come to me

And my heart says, "Thank you, Lord". My soul feels at peace and my heart cries healing tears.
I love the lyrics of that last verse. The Lord says, "I have set you free from the things that held you".

And you? Yes. Right now, you can surrender the things you're battling with and take the peace of His wings instead. Don't fight the battle on your own. Lay down that burden and wait for Him to come and fight for you. Strength comes in the waiting. Healing comes in the soaring in freedom. "Joy comes in the morning". {Psalm 30:5b} {Tweet This}

Isaiah 40:31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.