Hello Readers. It’s been longer than I like since my last post, but life is full, we are coming and going a lot, and there are preparations to make. There are respites though, and I’ll share a recent one.
On a crisp spring day, I plopped myself on one of the lower treads of a classic wood staircase at my daughter’s house. Late afternoon sun rays streamed through the smudged glass storm door. Warmth and light flooded my spot, the kind of basking spot any cat would envy! Two of my grandchildren sat beside me. I’m not sure if we stopped there to remove boots or if we were all just drawn to the sunshine and an invitation to sit.
I made small talk with the two preschoolers and eventually the third one joined us. Realizing the three were content in the moment, not anxious to move on, I kept the chit chat going. We pondered silly questions like, “Do trolls live on mountains?” I sang goofy songs like “My Darling Clementine” and dodged the inquiry about why it was “dreadful, sorry.” I sure did not want to divulge her aquatic demise. Somehow this spontaneous repose went on for a restful fifteen minutes or more, until dinner was called and all calmly headed to the dining room. What a surprising variation from the normal energy and activity level of this age group! And I too felt refreshed in body and spirit by taking the load off my feet and mind.
Quiet, stillness, and interludes restore us. A nonstop, hectic pace produces a hectic heart. Scripture speaks of our need for rest. Tranquil words like “abide” and “dwell” pepper its pages. Not surprisingly to me, Sunday’s church class touched on this subject in Micah 2 even as I was already mentally drafting these thoughts. The lesson reminded us that God called the Promised Land His place of “rest” for His people (Micah 2 v 10, Exodus 33 v 14, Deuteronomy 12 v 9). He planned that His chosen would live peacefully and flourish if they followed His ways. For all, the heart finds rest when it depends on and trusts in God, His goodness, and His plan for us.
The familiar Psalm 23 notes the priority of rest: not being in want; lying down; pastures; quiet or still waters; restored souls; no fear instead comfort, goodness, mercy; and the hope to “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” It is a wonder that Ecclesiastes 3 does not say, “a time to rush and a time to bask.”
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