#RestAtTheRiver By: Deborah Ard
Rest: cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength
Are you good at resting? I don’t mean just sitting around and doing nothing or feeling lazy. I am talking about really resting.
I am not good at resting. Sure, I love a power nap or having a pajama day where I stay in my pjs all day to do my house work. But even that is not true rest. I am a very busy person. I am a daughter, wife, mother of a 9 and 12-year-old who play softball/baseball, teacher, active church member, Chair of the worship committee…the list seems endless. My schedule is always packed full and all of the items are good things to be a part of individually. However, when all of them are crammed together, life becomes an endless merry-go-round ride. For years God has been trying to get my attention. He has used others to speak to me and tell me to slow down. He has used sickness to tell me to take it easy. He has even used my devotion time with Him to speak words of insight and tell me to “Be still…” Psalm 46:10. While I heed His words for a moment in time and take a pause, I have not done well at rest…deep, soul searching, rest.
And so, this summer God took me on a rest by the river.
May is naturally a busy month for me. School is winding down and I must prepare for kindergarten graduation. Ball season is winding down and this year my son’s travel ball team was preparing for a trip to Cooperstown which meant extra practices and fundraisers. Tumbling classes for my daughter are preparing for a recital. May is a busy time. However, this year my son was participating in confirmation classes to prepare him to join the church. The week leading up to confirmation proved to be an extra stressful week as I helped to plan a Saturday outing for the confirmands, planned for the worship service for confirmation, and on top of that was in a great deal of pain which turned out to be coming from a kidney stone. Needless to say, after the confirmation luncheon, I was emotionally and physically exhausted. And that is when God first sent me to the river.
One of my good friends texted and invited me and my daughter to come spend the afternoon with her while the boys had ball practice. This is not something I usually do but I took her up on her offer. She and I sat on the dock visiting while my daughter played in the river. The scenery was beautiful and our time there was restful. My friend went up to her house for snacks and while she was gone I had this overwhelming sense of peace. When she returned with a tray of goodies for us to share I told her this time away from the world was exactly what I needed that day. I haphazardly said, I just need to move to the river this summer! I need a time of rest! She jokingly said we could camp in her back yard for the summer. Less than ten minutes later her neighbor, who goes to church with me, arrived to visit with us. After a few moments of talk she said the real reason she came over was to offer a proposition. She and her husband would be leaving the last of June for a month long RV trip and wanted to offer for my family to house-sit while they were out of town. Did you catch that? Less than ten minutes after dreaming of staying at the river, God sent an angel to offer her home for my family to stay in for a month! Now that was a speedy answered prayer!!! Needless to say, I was overwhelmed and over-joyed! After talking with my husband, we took her up on her offer. Their plans changed and we actually stayed at the river mid-June through mid-July.
Our time at the river was a God-sent gift. God sent me to the river to make me rest. While we were there I spent much time reading, praying, pondering, and resting! This rest was not just physical rest but deep soul rest. God spoke to me about my “busy-ness” and told me to slow down. He had to take me away from my home to make me listen…I am hard headed! Here are a few lessons I learned:
1) Never underestimate God’s ability to get your attention.
2) When He gets your attention, be ready to listen and heed!
3) True rest in Christ is a necessity for continuing to serve Him effectively.
So today I ask you to examine your resting. Are you truly resting or are you on the treadmill of life and need to jump off for a soul rest? While you may not be able to go stay at the river for a month, I am sure there is some way you can slip away for a private time of rest. Perhaps you can go sit on the beach alone with the waves and God, go for a prayer walk, or even go to your church’s sanctuary by yourself for some solitude. Whatever way you choose for a soul rest, be sure to do it. By resting in Him, we are better able to serve Him. May God speak to you today about a time of rest with Him!
I would love to hear your “rest” ideas! Email me your ideas and I will share them on a blog post for others!
deborahpard@gmail.com
“He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.” Psalm 23:2-3
#SeasonsOfRest By: Julie Wicker
I am currently in a season of wait and need to learn to be still as I wait for God’s plan to unfold. My still and Deborah’s still or rest have different back story’s. There can be different seasons of rest. This summer I needed to know that God’s got the future story and has it all under control. During this time of waiting along with a busy summer I too needed to find rest. For me it was more that I needed to rest my mind that was cluttered with my busy To Do list. Deborah encouraged me to join her one day at the river to experience the rest she had found.
Worship songs are derived from scriptures. I love going to my bible after hearing a good worship song and discover the meaning behind a song. One of my recent favorites is “Still” By: Hillary Scott
Moving Mountains, comes from Matt 17:20 Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, “move from here to there” it will move, nothing will be impossible. Be Still, comes from Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God. Parting Waters, comes from Exodus 14:21 Then mosses stretched out his hand over the sea and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided.
#Prayer
Father,
Thank you for the seasons of every activity, including rest Ecc 3:1. When I need physical rest, I want to be still as you guide me to quiet places and refresh my soul Ps. 23:2-3. When I’m in a time of waiting, I want to be still in your presence waiting patiently and confidently for your perfect plan to unfold Ps 37:7. When I’m in battle mode, I can be still knowing you have it and will fight my battles for me Ex 14:14. When my soul needs rest, I can come to you with my burdens and in your gentle, humble heart I find rest Matt 11:28-29. When I do not know what kind of rest I need your Holy Spirit intercedes on my behalf according to your will Rom 8:27.
In the Name of Jesus
Amen
#WorshipWithUs
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