Pressed

By Julie Reed

“You need to persevere (press on) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”

Hebrews 10:36

I’m wondering if you are feeling some pressure on you today.  It seems that I’m getting pressed on from all sides.  I have the pressure of getting my children ready for school and making sure that lunches are packed, uniforms are ready, schedules are kept and more.  I have the pressure of being sure they arrive on time and picked up on time.  Don’t even mention the fact that my baby is starting kindergarten and keeps asking me if daddy can see her new school from heaven.

Then there is the added pressure of work.  Being an administrator of a preschool means I’m putting in extra hours to make sure the school is in tip top shape and the staff is ready for a new batch of students.  I have the pressure of feeling like an awful parent for working so much and wasting those precious last days of summer working instead of being with my kids.

Add in some emotional pressure as the 2 year anniversary of daddy and grandpa’s accident approaches and then toss in some pressure from church.  Band practice.  Grief Share leader.  Single mom’s study leader. (That’s a good kind of pressure though, right?)

Then I remembered that it was my week for an article.  Yikes!

I wanted to find a safe place to cower and have a good cry, but instead, I picked up a devotional book that was given to me by a dear friend shortly after my husband’s passing.  I didn’t read it for a long time…didn’t think it could help me much, but it has grown to be one of my favorite books and seems to always have an “answer” for me when I’m struggling.

Today’s text offered just that.  It talked about pressures.  It talked about stresses and darkness.  It talked about feeling suffocated and helpless.  If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought the author was writing about me.

The devotion ended with this poem. I just had to share it with you.

PRESSED

Pressed beyond measure; yes, pressed to great length;

Pressed so intensely; beyond my own strength;

Pressed in my body and pressed in my soul,

Pressed in my mind till the dark surges roll.

Pressure from foes and pressure from dear friends.

Pressure upon pressure, till life nearly ends.

Pressed into knowing no helper but God;

Pressed into loving His staff and His rod.

Pressed into liberty where nothing clings;

Pressed into faith for impossible things.

Pressed into living a life for the Lord,

Pressed into living a Christ-life outpoured.

A.B. Simpson

This week I hope that no matter what “pressure” you may be feeling yourself that you’ll be “pressed” into Jesus. Nice and warm…arms really tight around you so that you can be certain that pressure is helping you become all He wants you to be for Him.  I’m feeling lighter already, how about you?