My body aches for the time where I can go outside, without a coat or hoodie on, to swim in a pool or jump into a lake off a dock swimming around until my body prunes up with water filling my pores.
Or to go down an amusement park ride screaming and laughing until my gut hurts.
Or being on a bench swing, in a tree, or on a papason chair with the sun overhead reading a book or just to simply relaxing with an icy Coke-a-Cola Classic to drink.
There is just something about summer and resting. After a long school year, it is time to relax a little.
I can remember when I was in middle and high school, that I had my favorite spot to go in the summer. I had a pond in my backyard that about a dozen other houses backed up to. There was a wooden bench there under a large weeping willow tree that was perfect for fishing. This was my space. After a busy day of chores or getting back from my job, this is where you could find me. I would retreat to that exact spot, which looked kind of like this:
Yet, when I got there... something seemed to always happen.
I would get about three minutes of peace and quiet. Then, the things of this world would flood my mind: relationships, sports, friends, text messages, something I forgot to do, and always a sibling or neighbor would come by to pestering me.
My relaxing, my rest, well, it got interrupted.
Do you ever feel that way? Psalms 46:10 tells us, "be still and know that I am God." God desires for us to be still... how can we even do that today?
We are to try to stay focused, forget everything else that is going on around us, and be in the presence of God to soak him in. Allow this time to be like your skin after swimming too long, soaked. To "know" God means that you are in relationship with him. Not simply seeing him on the weekends or casually in dialogue, but in constant contact with Him. Just the same way you would be in relationship with a close friend.
In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus calls those who have heavy burdens, those who are weighed down by life, to come to him and find rest. Jesus can take the weight of life all of your mistakes, regrets, sins, doubts, fears, inadequacies, and worries.
We cannot carry around the load any longer.
Give it over to the only one who can handle it all.
Begin to rest in him.
Let us get back to resting and soaking in Christ, allowing each of us to be satisfied and complete in Him.
-Mark
No comments:
Post a Comment