This weekend was a bit of an irony.
A delicious, God-sent irony.
I was going to be preaching this Sunday, April 15 on the necessity of Rest. That God gives His people the luxury and even the command to rest.
And then we all ended up staying home because there was an ice storm, and we were “forced” to rest.
How delightful! (Seriously, I was actually chuckling in the morning!)
But to further that thought, I want to take a moment to challenge myself (and you) in the rest that God prescribes. Luke 10:38-42 describes how Martha and Mary love Jesus, and though they love in different ways, Jesus commends Mary for not being distracted by other things, and for sitting at His feet, resting but learning.
This Sunday may have forced some of us to do that. To face head on our inability to rest (did anyone find themselves stir crazy and needing a distraction come 3pm??) or our inner peacefulness as we delightedly waited on Jesus to meet with us in a day set aside from our normal schedules.
For me, I realized I have gotten out of the practice of resting. I was dying by 3pm for a distraction. Anything would be better than just wandering a home aimlessly for hours on end. ( and if you didn’t have hydro, I bet you were feeling even more frustrated by your lack of distractions!)
It was very self-revealing, desperately needed. I came to the end of the day so thankful that this very ice storm that caused so much havoc, was the agent of revelation for me about my need to learn (again) how to sit and listen to Jesus as Mary did.
How do you actually do that? I think there’s a number of ways–for me, the worship music I listen to helps sooth my need for other thoughts, and pushes me towards a quiet contemplative time with Jesus. Maybe even just asking Him for help is a good place to start too!
Someone once shared with me a helpful list of ways that you might reconnect with God as you rest with Him, and it’s called the 7 pathways to God. Find which one you prefer, and then do it. Perhaps as we practice rest, the peace and joy we feel in being refreshed will overflow into our families and our neighbours lives….
- Relational Path- sit with a group. Pray with a group. Worship or study with a group.
- Intellectual Path- Study, study, study. Get out those books and be convinced.
- Serving Path- painting, baking,teaching, doing….if this is deeply spiritually connecting for you, then find ways to serve others.
- Contemplative Path- sit. Be quiet and think. Meditate on the Goodness of God. Be still and know.
- Activist Pathway- fighting evil, catalyzing others into meaningful ministry, facing challenges.
- Creation Pathway- finding connection through nature.
- Worship/Music- connecting through music and praise.
Rest. Find a way to connect your soul to God and sit at His feet listening. It’s worth it.
Plattsville Church 