Rest
by Becky Glenn
Jesus invites us:
“Come with me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest.” (portion of Mark 6:31 NIV)
Ahhhhhh, getting away from the noise, the needs, responsibilities, distractions, and busyness of life to be with Jesus, to enjoy Him, to rest...
Have you responded to Jesus' invitation? He is waiting for you.
Just a couple weeks ago I took one of the very busy young gals on our church staff, a mom of three active teens, to our nearby church camp for a day to be with Jesus in nature, in silence, alone...
We started the day together sharing, praying, and reading a few verses of Scripture to help us settle in.
I offered some of the ways I spend my days apart with Jesus, including a wide variety of options like walks in the woods, taking “holy naps,” breath prayers, journaling, slowly reading my Bible, Lectio Divina, praying, reading a book that fills my soul...
We talked about things others do. Some enjoy art, coloring, making something, bird watching, worship music, or anything else they experience as life-giving for their spirit.
I emphasized there is no schedule, no right or wrong, no agenda. The intention is to focus on simply enjoying the Lord, being with Him, resting and caring for your soul.
After our opening prayer, my friend and I parted in silence, agreeing to meet back together at the end of the day to share and pray together.
We both left our day of silence rested, refreshed, rejuvenated and all those other good “r” words. 😊
She is eager for another day apart with Jesus, and other women on our staff have asked for “guided” retreats as well.
I love introducing others to the joy of extended, intentional time apart with Jesus. They always love it and want to do it again. Everyone is amazed at how fast the time goes.
If you don't already have this as a spiritual rhythm in your life, would you join me and RSVP a “yes” to Jesus' invitation?
Schedule it and get it on your calendar. Protect it like any other appointment.
Committing to meet with someone (and then separate in silence to be alone with the Lord) helps make it a priority. Who could you invite to join you? Or you may prefer to start out alone.
Choose a location: a nearby retreat center, church camp, park, church prayer room, a friend's home, a friend's camper, RV or cabin...
Start small, maybe 2-4 hours. Keep it simple.
Too busy, no time, no way?
Let's look at the whole of Mark 6:31. “Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’” (NIV)
The needs and demands were many. They didn't even have time to eat! But Jesus knew they needed to take time away to rest.
The people followed them, and Jesus once again ministered to the people, not getting quiet or rest for long.
But “After leaving them, Jesus went up on a mountainside to pray.” (Mark 6:46 NIV)
Jesus still made it a priority to have time alone with his Father, even in the midst of the needs.
We know that Jesus “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16 NIV)
We are Jesus' apprentices. We are to live like he did. His example of taking time away to be alone with the Lord gives us permission to do this! It is counter-cultural even among Christians, but if we want to live as Jesus did, we will make this a priority.
Years ago, when I first started taking extended times away with the Lord, I felt guilty. I was even kind of secretive about it.
But when I realized how those “unproductive” hours made the rest of my time more meaningful, my spirit so much fuller, and how I was able to pour out more and with deeper love, I started telling others about it and inviting others to join me.
I have taken teenage girls on 24-hour silent retreats. They loved it and over a decade later it is still a part of their spiritual rhythms.
I often retreat with a friend who is a homeschooling mom of six, her youngest with special needs and with another friend who is a busy physician with four young adult children and grandchildren. Talk about full lives with little margin!
Just last weekend a committed “retreating” friend and I hosted a Guided Silence and Solitude Retreat for over thirty people!
A busy mom and grandma sent this text after the retreat:
“Thank you for leading the day of silence. Such a balm for my weary heart. For me the best part? Permission to write down my thoughts and concerns in prayer prior to start being filled again with the Holy Spirit to be refreshed and renewed. After over 3 pages and 45 minutes, and tears … I was able to start … Are those concerns and prayers still there? Of course! BUT I feel the Armor of God has been put back on and fits in all the right places. I’m ready for battle…on my knees (not literally because one hurts😁).”
Jesus invites us:
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” ~ Jesus (Matthew 11:28-29 The Message)
Please join me! I guarantee it will be life-changing! If this is already one of your rhythms, I encourage you to invite others to join you!
