My parents worked hard day and night to provide a good home for their children.
They worked in the place of employment during the day and during the night they worked just as hard in their diligence around the home and in engaging with their children and their church family. In fact to some degree I felt that my parents worked too hard. Well, I say my parents, I mean in particular my Mum. She worked herself to a frazzle.
My Dad was very diligent at working very hard too. I guess the difference between him and my Mum was that he saw the benefit in rest. He had outlets that helped him to rest. It felt like every Sunday he would make his way to his allotment and spend a good few hours tending to his vegetation. I thought it was more hard work. It was actually therapeutic and restful for him. He was getting to enjoy God’s creation and it was not strenuous for him. He was able to take his time tending to his plot of land, truly enjoy himself. Return home and then take a nap. All in a day’s rest for my Dad. He knew how to rest.
For years I thought rest was about inactivity. Doing nothing was the best way to rest I thought. Yet I came to understand that I was confusing rest with being dormant, docile or asleep. Rest is about my relationship to work and to joy.
Rest also sayssomething about who I rely on. Rest reminds me that there is a creator who worked and when things were complete rested from His work. rest reminds me that there is somene who completed work in restoring a right relationship with God again. Rest reminds me that it’s not all about working ourselves to a frazzle. Rest is about still waters and green pastures. Rest is about fullness of joy in good company.
It’s still something I need to know more of, but as I was invited to find rest for my soul by following Jesus, it is a process I’m happy to keep learning.
(Photo by Angelina Kichukova on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
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