Volume 30: Rest in SPRING BREAK!

 

I begin this blog post with a quote about the Sabbath, from the book Sabbath by Dan Allender:

"Few people begin the week boasting in how many lies they plan to tell in the next five days or end the week full of pride about how much loot they have stolen. We live in a dark day, but it is still rare for someone to publicly tout his or her violation of the Ten Commandments, with one exception - our debasement with busyness. We love to tell others how much we work, how much we still have to get done, and how overwhelmed we are with the exhaustion of our labor... ponder this thought: it is as wrong to violate the Sabbath as it is to steal, lie and kill."

This was one of those quotes that I read and then had to go back and reread and then reread again because I thought, OOF HOW TRUE! Now, I know that there's a lot more depth to comparing the sabbath to stealing and other sins, but I do think it is an important reminder to make the effort to find rest and undistracted time to delight in Jesus. 

Well, I can tell you, I delighted in Jesus this week! 

A full week of not thinking about work. 

A full week of laughing with friends. 

A full week of doing things that brought me joy. 

What an absolute gift that God loves us so much that He commands us to rest. He could have called us to work every day, to earn His love and pay Him back for everything He has done for us. Yet, instead, He knows that the most important thing we need is to find rest in Him. 

So as I come to the end of my Spring Break today, I am very grateful for this past week. A week off of work would have been enough.... Thank you, God, for overdoing it!!!

After growing up going to Disney every year with my family, I thought I remembered it well...

I was wrong... 

Our two days at Disney, doing all four parks, was absolutely amazing - talk about your inner child coming out! The rides, the shows, the characters, the detail in EVERYTHING. Faces of awe and wonder all around. The sounds of laughter. The beauty of experiencing something that just blows you away. 

Fourteen hour days full of JOY - doing the hokey pokey, riding Guardians of the Galaxy, watching kids interact with Crush, seeing the Bugs Life show and remembering being so scared as a kid, waiting in lines, skipping, singing and dancing. 

Then came the moment of pure contentment. We walked into Magic Kingdom, and as we were walking by the castle, out of no where, music started playing and characters came out of the castle and it was a moment of unexplainable joy - feeling like I was a kid and experiencing it for the very first time. I stood there, in awe, as bubbles were flying across my vision and everyone around me was captivated by the uplifting music and beauty of the present moment. 

As I was simply standing there, observing the scene around me, I couldn't help but think about the fact that it was simply a TINY foretaste of the joy that is to come when we are with Jesus, in our ultimate resting place. Yes, it may be a stretch, but isn't it wild how even if we added up all of the moments of joy we have experienced in our lives, it would still not even compare to what is to come!! "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere."

After re-experiencing childhood at Disney, the week continued to be restful as we went to the beach and were able to relax and be reminded of how small we are when looking at the vastness and order of the ocean. Swimming in the ocean, watching the sunset, eating seafood, playing miniature golf, reading books, and simply just sitting down. 

For the past couple of months, one of my main prayers has been for a quiet mind. This week was so refreshing because my mind was still. I was not thinking about anything, other than just simply being where my feet were and enjoying time with friends. So, today we give thanks for an answered prayer and God's goodness in giving us space to be with Him and feel His presence outside of our daily routine. 

And we give thanks for His provision of great friends like Emily Pinkerton! What a gift it was to spend the week with her. A friendship where you are accepted exactly as you are and have FUN! A friendship where we can simply sit on the beach or the curb of our driveway for an hour and say very few words but find rest in simply being together and being known. You're a good unplugger, Yellerton! 

So here I am, feeling a little overwhelmed at what tomorrow will bring. At what the next two weeks will bring, as we get ready to move to Arkansas for the summer. At what the summer will bring. But may I remember the moments from this week - of Jesus's presence when you are present in the current moment. May I take each day at a time and seek His joy and rest. 

I don't want to fall into the trap of bragging about my busyness and things to do, especially as work picks up as the summer approaches. In my pursuit of becoming more like Jesus this year, may I follow His example and do my work well but also find the time to rest and draw close to my Father in Heaven.

Amen!