TO THE PACE OF MY FATHER’S HEART

Rest and worship

for the Lord knows best

the world wants more

but the Lord says rest. 

“To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. (‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1:29‬)

Maybe my mess is really part of His masterpiece. This is just a friendly reminder...to myself, and anyone else who may need to hear it, that it’s okay to lay aside the mess... TO REST. 

There will always be more to do and more “messes” to clean up, but still God’s Word calls us to rest. Don’t get me wrong, I love myself a checked off, completed to-do list. Therefore, it is such a challenge for me to just stop and REST. Still, I try every Sunday to do so. For I continue to learn, God can do so much more with 6 days, than we alone can do with 7. 

So why do I fight, rest and listen to the world shouting, “Hurry?”  Why do I try to steer the wheel when I know, ultimately I am not the one in control?

Jesus take the wheel! 

“Maybe my mess is really part of HIS MASTERPIECE.” 

So why am I fighting it when I can rest in it? Maybe He is creating beauty in the midst of my mess. Maybe He just wants me to pause and trust all of His words, not just the ones that fit into my busy schedule. 

Ouch! That is not easy to hear and still necessary. 

How would I learn if I didn’t mess up or if life didn’t get messy? And while I am calling out my own misconceptions, what if rest was more than just for Sundays? Of course, Sabbath rest is necessary and the Bible states it, but what about resting to refuel too, throughout it all?

What a blessing it is to be able to do that! Our own recharging station all day long, found in Jesus.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

We have freedom. We are no longer slaves. Our heavy is lifted so why do we still hold it all or try to hold it all in our own strength. Our worth is not connected to our work. And we are called to rest. We are called to rest and worship. Praise God that we were created by Him and that we are not whatever burdens try to weigh us down. But there is a problem…

The world conditions us to think the opposite. The world makes us think that our work creates our worth. It does not. Our worth is found in Christ. God created us worthy and with purpose. Wow! What a blessing. We don’t need to prove ourselves to Him. He loves us regardless, through and through.

The hurry won’t help us. Resting in the Lord will instead. 

To do that, we cannot be yoked to our work. We must surrender to the Lord to lead our ways. We must rest in Him because we are His and He truly knows best. We are yoked to Christ who carries our burdens too. 

Still, I am not one to sit still. I am not one to rest. The truth is... I find doing nothing difficult. And, I have always found silence uncomfortable. Growing up and even in my 20s, I used to find that the only time I could be still was at the beach. While that may still be true (if I was ever at the beach by myself), I now see a new value of ... QUIET. So sometimes I try to make my own pretend beach, my own quiet, my own rest…

One Friday years back, after a fun but tiring summer day, I sat outside in my backyard. My husband was inside ordering pizza as my daughter was still napping. I closed my eyes and pretended to be at the beach, soaking in some late afternoon sunshine when my oldest child, about 5 years old at the time, came outside and asked me what I was doing. I mean really… a mommy with her eyes closed when there was dinner to set up and a ton to prepare for? That was unheard of! I went on to tell him that I was pretending I was at a beach. He laughed and joined me in sitting down with his eyes closed as I told him it was the place of no worries, no stress, no whining, no drama. It was where I could write and help people learn of Jesus and to love themselves. It was where I could inform others that peace, joy and hope existed and no one could erase them. It was where I could be with my family, and close friends and just feel love all around. I mean “all we need is love” right? My son and I went on to talk about our “beaches.” The place that brings us peace and allows our joy to shine bright. The place we rest. I asked my son what his “beach” was and he went on to describe a place where he could dive into the ocean whenever he wished and then come out to dry off and do sticker books. Then, he could continue to jump back into the waves as he pleased and come out only to do Legos or some kind of building construction. Right after his description though, he sharply switched on me to a song of whines about why I wouldn’t allow him to store acorns throughout the house. I guess he had forgotten that he had been at my beach where there was an invisible “No Whining” sign. But, whose fault was that? I mean I guess that’s where a heart-to-heart conversation goes with a child… to acorns. 

I remember that memory vividly though it was a simple one because I remember how I was resting, though there was so much to do. I was soaking in the sun and in rest, even with my eyes open. But, God was starting to open my eyes figuratively too to so much more…

What is your beach? What is it that brings tranquility and radiates your joy? A lot washes up on the beach but a lot washes away as well. It may be why I love it so much besides the fact that I met my soulmate there and have a thousand or more sweet memories with family and friends at it. Beaches have been a source of escape at times. Therefore, while the beach has been serenity to me, it has been my escape too from the hustle and hurry. And it certainly has been a place of rescue as well, especially when “the riptides” come. There is simply no perfect preparation for when and where those show up.  

According to Collins online dictionary, a riptide is an area of the sea that may become very deep or where two different currents meet. These conditions make it an extremely rough and dangerous one to swim in or get trapped in. Each summer the news is full of warnings of such conditions and tips on how to stay safe. It makes me think of the topic of safety and rescue too, When I originally wrote this for the memoir I pray to publish one day, I did my own reading up on many incredible stories of rescue. From the ones in the water to ones that had nothing to do with life’s rocky waters in a literal sense. Still, people are rescued and brought to safety all the time, becoming part of their testimonies. 

What does this have to do with rest anyway? Bear with me; I am getting there. 

Rescues have always been happening. They happen every day. There was one in 1939 when the USS Squalus sank. When this happened, 33 were detected alive and able to communicate via Morse code. It was then that Charles Momsen led Navy divers using a device called a rescue bell to successfully rescue all of these men. It took four trips for this small vessel to bring all of these people back to land.

It was a rescue. 

There are times in life we all need to be rescued. It is in these times that the tides may have us caught and stuck in the disastrous waves, literally or figuratively. Sometimes, figuratively speaking here, God is turning the tide in these times. It can be one moment that can change our course. This one shift in atmosphere can bring us to safety no matter how strong the currents feel but most of the time, this can happen only if we respond. Can you imagine being caught in the Squalus and refusing to leave when the divers came? All of those 33, listened and followed, thus they were brought to shore.

It made me think about breathing and how it can be hindered by much of what we face like exhaustion, fear or whatever burdens us. However, it also reminded me of our Hope, our anchored hope that nothing can wash away… Jesus. Therefore, may we live anticipating “the rescues,” trusting and knowing that God is faithful and is always there with open arms. So why don’t we always cling to Him? Have we grown too comfortable being stuck where we are? Like always, I’m asking myself these questions and anyone else who may need to hear it.

In Exodus 3, there was a tide over the people. It was one that had started to blanket over them generations before. It was a problem that plagued generations before them but still does so today. It is the issue of comfort. We all love being comfortable. I know on the days that I feel most uncomfortable I have to chase away anxiety and I do this by speaking God’s Word and Truth to it. I also find myself turning to activities that put my mind at ease such as praying, organizing, cleaning, writing or running. They help comfort me. And during those restless nights, I search for the most comfortable position in my bed. We tend to want to be comfortable all the time. Rarely do we seek out discomfort. However, what creates our comfort today can be our captivity tomorrow. At this time in history, the people of Egypt became too comfortable which caused a great deal of complacency, making them stuck in the old and not open to the new. While this is what was happening to them, God was ready to turn the tide. It didn’t matter what kind of tide had them stuck. God wanted to shift it all. 

“There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” (‭‭Exodus‬ ‭3:2-5‬ ‭NIV‬‬) 

In this pivotal moment for Moses and for history, there were two important keys: availability and obedience. Typically, there are keys or even codes now in our technology-driven world for every door and for every treasure. What happens when we lose those tickets to get inside? I know I have lost my key card for work a couple of times. The one time I had already been late and I could see people passing by on the upstairs hallway. However, they did not see me as I stood locked outside. There is no doorbell so I just waited and texted a few colleagues to see if they would let me in. Eventually, I did get in and rushed to make up for the time I missed. Sometimes in life, it may feel like God is standing right on the other side of the door, yet we can’t get in. We see Him ready to meet us but we can’t quite get in. We feel locked out. The fact is that we DO have the keys to get in this door. We have the key to availability and how open we let ourselves be to the prompts of the Holy Spirit. And we certainly have the ability to be obedient. We just need to use them. But unlike those who passed me in the hallway that day for obvious safety reasons in this day and age, God sees us even when it does not feel like it. Sometimes, He may just want us to step in faith and use what He has already provided. 

AND GOD PROVIDES REST. 

Rest is part of the process. I am learning rest is available through every step of that process too. However, we have to make ourselves available for it and obedient to it. And honestly sometimes I think we grow comfortable in the chaotic hurry and rush. I know for me it is when I’m so busy that I have less time to think and reflect, to pause and regroup. In the hurry, there is less time to renew my mind and focus, thus leading me to trip up more than I would like to admit. 

I can’t help but to think that maybe sometimes we wouldn’t find ourselves stuck in the tides of hurry and worry if we were fully making ourselves available to rest. 

The quiet moments matter. They seem so simple, and yet they can be everything. 

I find mornings to be the best time for this quiet time with God. But, I need God all day long. It is much like learning God’s Word once a week at church is not enough for the whole week. This time just once a day is not enough either. In these loud, chaotic times, we have such a gift; we can come to Jesus at any time. We can pray and talk to Jesus at any time. We don’t need to wait for the beach or wait for the quiet morning that maybe our newborn won’t give us because they are that, a blessing, a newborn. 

Because the truth is the world is getting louder, the days and agendas are getting larger and the lies will taunt as loud as we let them. That is why we must learn God’s promises and Word even louder. His Word tells us time and time again to rest. 

When the emotions arise and the agendas pile up, pause. As a wife, mom, and teacher, I know that is not an easy thing to do. (I mean it’s been almost 9 years since I’ve even found time to use the bathroom alone. Okay, maybe that’s a slight hyperbole, but you get what I mean. ) Rest cannot be saved for here and there though, or until we collapse in exhaustion.

Instead, rest is a lifestyle.

A lifestyle of walking with Jesus and refueling in His presence, Word and goodness. 

I hear this line…

Close the door gently before it slams. 

The door is such a metaphor here for me. It was one I need reminders on often. We don’t need to wait until we are so overwhelmed to come, until the door SLAMS or the currents cover us.

We can be proactive in prayer. We must be proactive. But what does that look like…

which leads us to The Art of a Messy House challenge this week…

it is changing the mindset from

“I can’t rest until…”

to

“I will rest in the Lord and trust in His will.” 

Let’s find the quiet moments with God throughout the day, even if they are just for a minute or two, or even just a moment, they are where true wisdom, clarity, love and peace come. Maybe it will be when I’m walking the dog or taking a shower. It can be anywhere I find myself. I can talk to the Lord. I can pause and say, “Thank you Lord.” Or, “Help me Lord. Guide me Lord. Refuel me Lord.” Or even, “I love You Lord.” I can open the Bible App or even my Bible. Maybe it will be to read a Psalm a day or maybe to start a short devotional on the Bible app. Whatever it is… my joy and strength are found there too... in the pauses to pray and talk to God, to seek Him, to make myself available. So much is found in resting in the Lord.

Trusting in the Lord. 

And with that being said, even though I have so much unsettled, much to do, and much NEW coming up this week...I cannot do it alone. My strength is not enough. It never will be. My strength is not my own. For the joy of the Lord is my strength (Nehemiah 8:10). God can do so much more with six days than we alone can do with seven. And so, while I may not be at the beach, 

I pray to quiet my loud

to trust ALOUD

by resting right here right now

to the pace of my Father’s heart. 

How will you get some quiet and rest today? 

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work...” (Exodus‬ ‭20:8-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Dear God,

You are the way to life. Forgive me when I hurry or do not rest in You. Today I rest. Today I come to you for it all. Despite the messes, I rest. And though I don’t see it, I trust in everything that you are doing. Lord, break my yoke. I pray to know your ways and to follow them as my own. I pray today and every day to make time to rest in You. In Jesus’ name, Amen

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God bless!

Sources:

Astor, Maggie. “How to Survive a Rip Current: First, Don't Fight It.” The New York Times, 

The New York Times, 31 July 2017, 

www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/us/riptide-rip-current-drowning-safety.html.

“Riptide Definition and Meaning | Collins English Dictionary.” Google, Google, 

www.google.com/amp/s/www.collinsdictionary.com/us/amp/english/riptide.

“Top 10 Miraculous Rescues.” Time, Time Inc., 

content.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,1977927,00.html.