Reflection: Resting in the Lord
By Jane Lee Wolfe
Well, we have no idea what that means, right? We have no idea what any kind of rest means except maybe those of us who have the patience to let bread rest and rise before baking. Rest is what you do between tasks, something you do in the car between groceries and waiting for the kids to get out of school. “Rest” too long and we start to get anxious and bored and depressed and we wish we had something to do otherwise the day is a mess; a mess of nothing accomplished or not enough.
We have our goals. Our “rest” is the satisfaction of accomplishing them in the time allotted.
On some level we know this is crazy but we can’t get off the production line. We have our goals. Our “rest” is the satisfaction of accomplishing them in the time allotted. Then comes the next day or the next meal or the next project deadline.
Whoever controls our time controls our rest. It’s as simple as that. For some of us, our boss controls our time. For others, our family members control our time, for some community action controls our time. For most of us, our time is controlled by a patchwork composition of all these things. Rarely is our time controlled by our relationship with God, though occasionally that relationship may have a patch or two in the time-quilt governing our lives.
Resting in the Lord means the relationship with God controls our time…
Resting in the Lord means resting in our relationship with God. Resting in the Lord means taking time for our relationship with God, our life partner. It means listening to our partner in that relationship, being led into new and maturing experiences of partnership, and just hanging out enjoying each other’s company. Resting in the Lord means the relationship with God controls our time, including our rest, and takes priority over the other demands for time that present themselves to us.
Resting in the Lord doesn’t take all day if we are just starting out giving it a try. Like anything, like any relationship, it grows as we go, as we live into it. How about we make a date to show up in the Lord’s presence and check things out? Maybe we will find some compatible areas that would be worth exploring a little. How about a coffee date with the Lord? We can sit across from each other and listen and learn. That shouldn’t take all that much time, and we can get up and go to work or go home or whatever we want to do afterwards.
Resting in the Lord is worth a try.
So, that’s twenty minutes or so resting in the Lord that we never spent before. We can have more coffee dates, or take walks, or be together in other safe and happy ways. Maybe a few days we spend more than one little time together, maybe two; and eventually maybe we spend long, extended times together. Relationships develop at their own pace, but any pace requires presence and attention.
Resting in the Lord is worth a try. Sometimes it becomes the principal thing we do. And sometimes after that, we rest together a long time, make our plans together, and walk through life together. Whoever controls our time controls our rest. Wouldn’t it be a good thing if we shared control of our time with someone who loved us deeply and completely and forever? With someone who forgave our sins, with someone who was incredibly happy and grateful to be loved by us?
Sounds like a plan? Right?