Ann Farabee

By Ann Farabee

Lay down with me

This is a difficult column to write. Not easy, but applicable to our lives, for sure. Grab a tissue and hang with me. (Yes, I know the title is grammatically incorrect, but it will be okay.)

Several years ago, my brother went through two weeks of suffering as he was in the valley of the shadow of death and then went on to be with the Lord.

The prognosis was given within hours of taking him to the emergency room, as the doctor returned to us and said, “It’s not good news, Mr. Miles.”

My younger brother looked right to me – and needed for me to step into action. I did the best I could. I worked non-stop making sure everything – and I mean everything – was taken care of. I was going to be there for him during this difficult time. He would not – and I mean would NOT – feel alone as he faced his final weeks on Earth.

The days began to pass. His words became fewer – sometimes there were none – his eyes would follow me around the room as I helped him in every way that came to mind, like conferring with doctors and hospital staff or holding his cup and straw for him as he seemed so grateful to be able to have a sip of water. I made sure his physical environment was just right – blinds adjusted, tray area neat, lights on or off, and door open or shut. Anything that I thought would help.

On one of his final days, as I straightened the sheets and fluffed the pillow on his bed, I heard him whisper – almost inaudible at first and very labored – but I leaned in close and figured it out one word at a time. Lay…down…with…me.

Tears filled my eyes. I quickly released the side rail on the bed that had separated us, and climbed in beside him. He edged slightly closer to me, and I felt his body relax as I held one of his hands and wrapped my other arm across his chest. It seemed that time left me at that point – not sure how long we stayed in that position – but I wish I had stayed even longer.

Reality crashed down. I had been doing important things for him – very important things – but in that moment, “Lay down with me,” took precedence over every single fiber of my existence. I became not just a helper or an advocate for his needs, but I was a participant in what he was experiencing, creating one of my most powerful and priceless memories ever.

Lay down with me. The incorrect grammar? Yes, the correct version would be to say, “Lie down with me.” But a meaning of ‘lay down’ is ‘to put something down.’ So, what may have been imperfect grammar on that day ended up being a perfect message from God:

We sometimes need to ‘lay down’ some things – put some things down, even though they may be important and need to be done. Because most of the time, they are not more important than the “with-me’s” in our lives.

Why share this story now? A few days ago, my grandsons were once again ready to play Monopoly. Their conversation: The 10 year old – Maybe Mama GG could play. The 13 year old – No, she always has other things to do.

My thoughts as I heard them from the kitchen: Is that how they think of me? I always have other ‘things’ to do? Really? Don’t they realize how busy I am? These ‘things’ must be done!

Then, a still small voice – from God and my brother in heaven – reminded my heart, “Lay. Down. With. Me.” My “with me’s” needed me, so I decided to ‘lay down’ the dish I was drying, and let the Monopoly game begin. (Yes, those games can last a long time, but someday I may wish it had lasted a little longer.)

How about you? It may not be a child that needs you. It may not be a sick friend or family member that needs you. It may be totally different circumstances than mine.

And…it may be Jesus, who just wants us to ‘lay down’ the ‘things’ that we are convinced must be done first – and instead – spend time with Him.

By Ann Farabee

I couldn’t help but smile when I saw the young mother whose T-shirt was imprinted with the words, “I’M SO TIRED.” Her six month old son had the words, “I’M NOT TIRED” on his T-shirt.

No matter the stage of life we are in, there is always a need for rest – even if we think we are okay without it.

Here are some examples about rest in the Bible:

*Exodus 3:17 – In six days God made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

*Mark 6:31-32 – Jesus took his disciples in a boat to get away from the crowds and to go into a time of rest.

*Matthew 8:24 – A great storm arose in the sea. The ship was covered with waves. Jesus was asleep. Yes, Jesus was resting in the middle of the storm!

Jesus demonstrated the importance of rest by resting, showing us that rest was refreshing and … restful.

So, what is rest? Definitions include:

1. A bodily state characterized by minimal functional activity. (Sitting or reclining?)
2. Freedom from labor. (Doing nothing?)
3. A state of being motionless. (Perhaps a nap?)

Charles Spurgeon stated, “In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.”

Convinced? Ready to rest? It will take dedication and commitment, but there are quite a few RE-wards when we  RE-st.

We can:

*RE-fresh

*RE-member

*RE-store

*RE-direct

*Re-lax

*RE-juvenate

*RE-cover

*RE-group

*RE-vitalize

*RE-connect

Ready to rest?

Let’s intentionally make time for rest and see how we like it!

As a teacher, I daily worked at home on lesson plans and grading assignments. I felt God leading me to commit to setting aside Sunday as a day of rest – and I did. Yes, I am talking about working six days a week and resting on the seventh day. (Not only did I stop doing schoolwork on Sunday, but housework, as well!) It allows more time with family, more time in worship, and I am rested and ready for the week ahead. It may very well have been one of the most helpful steps I have taken in my Christian life.

If you do not feel you can ‘jump’ into that commitment, how about a daily time of rest?

Take 10, 20, or 30 minutes daily where you do whatever you feel is restful.

Create your plan and schedule it into your day.

You deserve it.

God set the example.

Jesus set the example.

That’s enough for me.

Ready…Set…REST!

By Ann Farabee

Have you heard a speaker speak, a teacher teach, or a preacher preach lately?

Research shows that within an hour of hearing someone speak, we forget 50% of it.

Within 24 hours, we forget 70%. Within 7 days, we forget 90%.

Those percentages seem a bit optimistic for my memory capability.

The 90% forgetting arrives much more quickly.

Research also shows that if we almost forget something, but bring it to remembrance, the memory will then become stronger and stay longer.

For example: I had forgotten that my 13-year-old brother had ridden with me to a basketball game at the high school I was attending as a 17-year-old. So at 10 p.m., he was waiting at the school in the dark on the steps outside the gym for his beloved sister to remember that she forgot him. Yes, this was well before cellphones.

Sometimes we tend to forget things — or even people.

But forget God? Who? Us?

How could that happen?

God made the world. God made us. God is with us.

God keeps our world spinning.

Jeremiah 2:32 says, “Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet, my people have forgotten me days without number.”

A bride forgetting her wedding dress? Unlikely.

That dress would be a very important part of her day.

In this verse, Israel had forgotten God — because they had become focused on the world.

Not only had they forgotten God — but they had forgotten God for days without number.

I am glad we don’t do that!

We remember God, don’t we?

We would certainly not go days without him!

Because he is the most important part of our day!

Or would we?

Sometimes our personal prayer life may weaken.

Sometimes our personal praise life may be forgotten.

Sometimes reading God’s word may be neglected.

Sometimes being in God’s house may be pushed aside.

Sometimes teaching our children about God may be overlooked.

We may then realize that maybe we have forgotten God.

How sad to think that the most important part of our day could be forgotten.

The night I left my brother at the gym happened because I had lost touch with him while we were there. I had been busy watching the game and talking with friends. 

I had forgotten to remember the person who meant the most to me — my brother.

I turned that car around like a maniac and headed back as quickly as possible.

I was focused on one thing only — getting back to him!

When I wheeled around the circle drive that led to the very dark gym, I was afraid he would not be there. I was afraid he would be angry.

But no. He was standing there — looking for me. He smiled, ran toward me, jumped in the car, while saying, “I sure am glad you finally remembered me!”

I was, too. That could have been hard to explain to my parents.

I believe that is what God does when we forget him.

He keeps waiting. He keeps looking for us.

Then, when he sees us heading back toward him, he smiles and runs to meet us.

For he knows that we finally remembered the most important part of our day.

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

By Ann Farabee

The reality of it is embedded in our hearts.

It has been lovingly placed there by the Holy Spirit.

I remember when I first knew it was real.

I was:

A young teen who needed a savior, so I could be saved.

A young teen who needed the bread of life, so I could be fed.

A young teen who needed a light in my world, so I would not have to live in darkness.

A young teen who needed a good shepherd, so I would have guidance and love.

A young teen who needed the way, the truth, and the life.

One night, I knelt at an altar in a small church on East 16th Street.

You may not know where that is — but God does.

I asked Jesus to come live in my heart.

He did.

He still does.

Decades later — it has only grown stronger.

Sometimes, it feels like a flood.

Sometimes, it feels like a still small voice.

Sometimes, it feels so gentle as his love is poured into my heart and soul.

It is real.

It is not about rules. It is about a relationship.

It is not about promises lost. It is about promises kept.

It is not about forgiveness earned. It is about forgiveness given freely.

It it not about our effort. It is about God’s grace.

It is not only about God who abides in heaven.

It is also about God who abides in our hearts.

Abide means to live or dwell in.

Abide means to continue without being lost or fading away.

Abide means to stay or remain.

Jesus lives in us.

Jesus dwells in us.

Jesus will continue.

We will not lose him.

He will not fade away.

He stays with us.

He will remain with us.

What is the prerequisite to Jesus abiding in us?

John 15:4 says that if we abide in Jesus, he will abide in us.

Hudson Taylor was a Christian missionary for 51 years in China during the 1800s. His organization was responsible for bringing over 800 missionaries to the country and starting 125 schools. His efforts brought about 18,000 Christian conversions.

He wrote about abiding in Jesus in a way that I surely could not. His words were, “Abiding in Jesus isn’t fixing our attention on Christ, but it is being one with him. A man is abiding just as much when he is sleeping for Jesus, as when he is awake and working for Jesus. Oh, it is a very sweet thing to have one’s mind just resting there.”

Oh, Mr. Taylor, it is sweet, indeed.

Abiding in Jesus.

I may not be able to explain it, but I sure can feel it!

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.

By Ann Farabee

No doubt we have all participated in a game of hide and seek.

Everyone knows the rules.

The person who is “it” counts aloud to a pre-selected number like 10, while everyone hides.

“It” then says something like, “1.2.3.4.5.6.7.10! Ready or not, here I come!”

“It” begins looking for the people who are hiding.

The word look is different from the word seek.

To look means to see it or pay attention to it.

To seek means to go in search of something.

If you are playing with children age 5 or under, and you are “it,” finding those who are hiding while playing indoors can be pretty simple. Look around. Stand still. Listen for whispering, giggling and rustling sounds. Walk toward those sounds.

As “it,” I never let the children know that I know where they are. I make a huge scene  while slamming doors and wondering aloud, “Where in the world could they be?” Then, I make loud announcements like, “I think I will look in the kitchen! I bet he is hiding in there!”

There was that one time though…

One little hider had not been located.

I looked everywhere.

Looking everywhere was not successful, for I was only looking with my eyes.

I needed to seek for him.

I knew he had to be near — so I called out his name.

No answer.

I noticed the blanket on the floor of the closet I had looked at earlier.

This time — I decided to lift up the blanket, so I could seek for him.

There he was.

Safe, secure and soundly sleeping.

Seeking for him had mattered.

Looking for him had not been enough.

Does God’s word mention hide and seek?

Adam and Eve hid from God, but God knew exactly where they were.

Jonah hid from God and ended up in the belly of the whale.

“He is our hiding place,” — Psalm 119:114

“We are to seek him while he may be found,” — Isaiah 55:6

Hiding from God? Impossible.

He knows exactly where we are.         

Ann Farabee is a teacher, writer and speaker. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com or annfarabee.com.