Suzie Lind
About the Author

Suzie lives in Los Angeles where she writes, speaks and laughs about life as a wife, friend, mom of 3 boys and women’s pastor to her church.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
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  1. My kids are finishing the first week of school. This is the first time in 9 years I have no kids at home. I have filled my days completely full. And I have been ill as a hornet between me adjusting, the kids adjusting, nostalgia, worry about my kids being at a new school, worry about my kindergartener. I feel that tug to slow down. I haven’t listened I have kept on pushing and hiding from my feelings. Praying along the way but still ignoring the tug. Yesterday, my brand new dryer stopped working so I can’t do laundry, and today I over slept by an hour. And them I get up and read this. Ok Ok, I get the hint. 🙂 thank you!

    • Andrea! I’m so glad you were encouraged today and pray God’s rest would quiet your heart and the rest of your body so you can enter into this new groove and be able to fill the space well.

  2. Whether or not we slow down to let God deal with our messes, I believe He always finds a way to get things done in our lives. If we do slow down, I think we can allow Him to get it done more easily and without Him having to do something BIG to get our attention.

    • So true Kerith. This post was written 10 weeks ago and last week, I came across this verse from Mark: “Sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” Nothing is required of us but when we receive the gift of rest with no strings attached to it, it’s a gift for our benefit… to be able to enjoy and savor who God is.

      • Wow. God has been speaking reminders of the good that is found in rest and slowing down from the crazy pace we often demand out of ourselves. I am definitely guilty of running at 100% 100% of the time, but just recently, God asked me to time to rest.

        I, like you, have been shoving my brokenness in the closets, under the covers, any where it would fit. It wasn’t until a dear friend gently said that I was a workaholic that my behavior was brought into full view and I realized how much my ways of “doing life” were hurting myself. Her words have been hard to swallow but I see the truth in them.

        These words were a good reminder of what the Lord is sorting out and healing in me. Thank you so much for sharing. 🙂

        • Thank you Brianna for sharing where you are as well. I hope and pray for God’s grace to be fully evident through every step of the sorting out. 🙂

  3. “He makes me lie down in green pastures… (Ps. 23:2)”
    I am a sheep – yes, the not-so-smart animals who need their Shepherd to make them lie down to rest. In fact, He was nudging me to rest this Sunday afternoon, but I had “so much to do,” but He was relentless bringing this verse to my mind. So I listened to my Shepherd, and I rested and laid my circumstances and struggles before Him. And He amazed me once again. I had such a sweet, sweet time with Him. I walked away with the simple message – “I love you…I love you with an immeasurable love, hold onto Me, allow me to guide you and care for you…I love you.” My circumstances and struggles have not changed, but I am different. I have been in the presence of the Good Shepherd, and I view my circumstances and struggles differently – because He loves me. Yep, that is enough me for this sheep. It may sound silly, but knowing He loves me and experiencing it in a profound way in my heart has changed me and is changing me. I want to stay in this slowed down place too, Suzy. Praying for you…He loves you!

  4. A calm and Undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body. Proverbs 14:30a.

    Gods word totally brings a calm to hearts and minds when we remember God has already been where we r going and says Follow behind Me, step into each of my footprints. This is the way!!. Saturating in the Word barricades our mind to letting in all those things that try and pull us away from those footprints and lead us into the dark messy closet!!! Nothing is trivial in His sight or wasted . He uses every tiny detail for His good purposes.

  5. I’m finding it hard to slow down these days. Thank you for this much needed encouragement, Suzie.

    • I think it’s hard for many of us to slow down Amy. I’m pretty convinced so much of God’s encouragement to us in the word from keeping the sabbath, to taking his rest, and not being anxious are because we have the propensity to keep on going at a faster and faster pace. It’s a challenge for all of us and I’m praying for you tonight to be able to slow down and savor Him.

  6. I am at the “too many messes in the closet” stage in the literal sense and it is impacting me in the spiritual sense. My normal tendency would be to clean the closet first and then sit still. for the past ten days or so I have been sitting still (even for brief periods) reading the word and pondering…. It has been good. I am almost ready to clean the closet. Thank you

  7. You’re my favorite writer besides Jesus. Thanks for sharing your God-given insights and allowing the Word to go deep into my messy life! Here’s to having our sins taken away…and no longer covered up!

  8. This is a great reminder….I love what you said about “sometimes I pretend not to be broken”……I often feel we do not allow others to be broken either!

  9. Thanks for those words, I really needed to hear that. As someone mention earlier, I tend to make myself so busy while Morgan is at school that I forget to slow down. Thanks so much Suzie!

  10. It was not by choice about 2.5 months ago that I found myself in a Marriage Mess, which forced me to slow down. I prayed for peace and asked my friends and loved ones to do the same. At first, when it arrived, I was scared. What was this feeling and why was I feeling it?! Oh yeah, that’s right…God answered those prayers! So for a few days this week, I thought, this is good. This is exactly what I need. Doing less, trying to maintain the peace and calm. Done, check, good job, pat on the back. But this morning, I’m seeing how God wants me to dig my heels in even further and REALLY find refuge in him. You can always go deeper, even if in silence and solitude. After all, it is only by grace…

  11. Hi there, friend!

    I just returned from an 11 month journey around the world. It was called the World Race and we visited 1 countries in that time frame. Beyond that, fundraising for the trip took up the half a year before as well.

    So this Summer, God called me to my 7th day. A day (slash 3 months) of rest. I am just about to begin really moving again, with work and ministry and such but He had to tell me to breathe. He made it very clear that this was the time to not only breathe but like you said, breathe deeply. Thank you for letting me know that I’m not alone in this because “uncomfortable” was the perfect descriptive word for what slowing down felt like for me. But it was time. It was worth it.

    • Lauren, thanks so much for sharing where you have been. Can you please clarify how many countries you visited? I’m so glad you found the rest worth it. May this next season bear much fruit because of it!

  12. I haven’t slowed down completely, but when I started adding goal after goal, task after task onto my plate, I heard Him tell me stop, back off, slow down. I could definitely do more to slow down. I delayed a business plan, a bible study I’d signed up for (the 3rd one on my plate)… and it’s been good to let me focus on the other areas – family, work, blog… life is full and hectic, and I know I’m not doing it perfectly – I’m a hot mess, and I’m thankful for this post encouraging me to do more to slow down and focus.

    • Welcome to the hot mess club Vanessa! Sounds like you and I are similar plate pilers. I hope your focusing helps you in deciding what to do and not do. One thing that’s really helped me is keeping in mind every time I say “yes” to something, I’m saying “no” to another. It’s kind of a simple thing that has helped me in deciding the best way to use my time and resources.Thank you for connecting with me today!

  13. Yes, we are the much-loved, glorious, imperfect, scandalous messes. 🙂 Thank you for reminding us that we can find rest in that truth!

  14. There are days when I too find myself shoving all the negatives away from me and pushing aside God’s discipline in the process. I don’t realize it until it is done. I realize that I missed my quiet time and prayers of thanksgiving. My day disentegrates into awfulness. So today I start fresh with morning prayers and a thankful heart. Today the focus will be on HIS provisions and direction. There is always peace for me this way. Thank you for reminding me to keep my eyes and heart focused on HIM and every good thing will be added to me.

  15. Have just returned from the privilege of a 5 day retreat! Wow! What a difference slowing down has had on me. Working out how to incorporate a slowed down life into my usual busy schedule. Maybe I should start with the slow bit and add the schedule around that. Am learning to be still, stop stressing and know He is my God.

    • I love the plan to start with the slow and schedule around that. Isn’t that how it should be? I’m going to be trying the same thing. Thanks 🙂

  16. When left untouched, a mess shoved out of sight can continue to grow as well. Open the door, shove a little more in. Out of sight, out of mind… We think. When messes are left, they can cause quite a problem when we decide it’s time to clean them up and leave behind lots of heartache. I’ve been through years of hiding sin and am just in the past two years trying to clean up the mess that just kept growing. Thank God HE can do it for me. His grace is way more than I deserve and I am forever grateful to Him for helping me and forgiving me. Living transparently is what I strive for now and I’ve just now started blogging about my story. Hopefully my story can help others and bring God all glory and honor! Great post! 🙂