Taking time to do nothing often brings everything into perspective. ~ Doe Zantamata
While on a very short personal retreat at a beautiful location, I had once again arrived with an agenda. The agenda was a good one, mind you, but still an agenda. I was going to study the Bible really intensely, and pray fervently, and write a lot.
When I got to my room, the silence enveloped me. I sank onto the bed and got all my books and pads of paper and “devices” out (iPad and phone for research), but I found that all I could seem to do was lie there—doing and thinking nothing.
I “let” myself do this nothingness for awhile but I became bothered by it. Precious time was slipping by and I wouldn’t have “accomplished” anything at all—wouldn’t have sought God fervently enough to get in a place and position to hear His Voice.
But there I was.
Immobilized by the silence.
And by the fact that I didn’t have a to-do list with deadlines to keep, and there was no one that I needed to care for.
It was just me.
All alone in a very quiet room with a lovely soft bed and a beautiful wooded view.
So I quit fighting my desire to attack my agenda and I peacefully lay there looking out the window, letting my thoughts go where they may—some conversation with God… which was somewhat disjointed for sure. I would fall asleep for short periods of time and then wake up with no need to jump out of bed to go “get something done.”
It was then that I realized how exhausted I actually was. In more ways than one. And that lying there all curled up on the bed was exactly what I needed.
And without even trying, I had a vision of sorts.
I saw myself curled up on that bed but instead of a bed it was more like a nest. That was the small close-up picture. Then “the camera” pulled away a bit and I saw the nest in the bigger very safe environment of the retreat where I was staying—the wonderful people who would take care of my needs and would protect me, and the gorgeous wooded mountains. And then “the camera” pulled back even farther and I saw the entire place covered with the protective wings of God—like a parent bird who was covering the nest and the whole retreat with its large protective wings that nothing could penetrate, so that I, and everyone in the place, could rest peacefully and could be rejuvenated in just the way they needed to be. It was a beautiful vision and it settled over me while I was resting, not while I was pressing in to work my own agenda—my own idea of how I would hear from God.
God knows we need times of rest.
Times away from the rush and pressing deadlines when we can completely relax and flow with a different schedule and rhythm. Every person there on that personal retreat was in spiritual, emotional, and physical need in uniquely different ways.
After I had enough physical rest (probably needed in part because of a long drive to the retreat), I was eagerly desirous to begin exploring the grounds—which is one of my favorite things to do. And, again, as I was ready, the Bible study and writing then followed. But it flowed. I didn’t have to push.
God wants us to flow with Him because He knows exactly what we need.
And, I can tell you for sure that most of us are caught up in this frantic, busy culture and we need a lot of rest.
The God kind of rest.
Refreshing silence.
Nature.
Time with Him.
Are you taking time to simply rest? Without feelings of guilt??
“Breathe” Jonny Diaz
Alarm clock screaming bare feet hit the floor
It’s off to the races everybody out the door
I’m feeling like I’m falling behind, it’s a crazy life
Ninety miles an hour going fast as I can
Trying to push a little harder trying to get the upper hand
So much to do in so little time, it’s a crazy life
It’s ready, set, go it’s another wild day
When the stress is on the rise in my heart I feel you say just
Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at my feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe
Third cup of joe just to get me through the day
Want to make the most of time but I feel it slip away
I wonder if there’s something more to this crazy life
I’m busy, busy, busy, and it’s no surprise to see
That I only have time for me, me, me
There’s gotta be something more to this crazy life
I’m hanging on tight to another wild day
When it starts to fall apart in my heart I hear you say just
Breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at my feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to take it in fill your lungs
The peace of God that overcomes
Just breathe
So let your weary spirit rest
Lay down what’s good and find what’s best
Just breathe
Just breathe, just breathe
Come and rest at my feet
And be, just be
Chaos calls but all you really need
Is to just breathe
Just breathe
BOOK RECOMMENDATION
Living in God’s Rest: At Peace In a Chaotic World ~ Nancy LaPointe