Friday, September 2, 2011

5-minute Friday: Rest


    1. Write for 5 minutes flat – no editing, no over thinking, no backtracking.
    2. Link back here and invite others to join in.
    3. Go a little overboard encouraging the writer who linked up before you.
OK, are you ready? Give me your best five minutes on:

Rest…


The bridal shower where we received our packs

When we married, we registered for cross-country backpacks instead of china and flatware. At the time, we believed we would be moving to India inside of a year, so we were striving to decrease rather than increase our possessions. We also thought that our mission work would require travel into out-of-the-way places where a large camping backpack would work better than an airline carry-on. So... we registered for backpacks.

I still remember, at least 8 years from my last pack usage, the feeling of physical relief when we arrived at our destination and rolled the packs onto a table or pick-up truck bed. Ah, rest.

Climbing into bed at the end of a long day, coming home after a trip, curling up in my favorite chair--all these things spell rest to me.

There's another kind of rest the Bible describes, too: the rest of rolling burdens and worries and others' expectations onto the shoulders of the Lord; the rest of ceasing to strive for my own agenda and leaning into His; the rest of coming to Jesus and accepting His yoke; the rest of moving forward in trust and confidence in the direction of His call.

That kind of rest is available in the midst of the work, in the midst of the labor, as available as a cry to Jesus for help.

I'm feeling a need for both kinds today; how about you?

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28, NLT).


*****
This is my first attempt at joining the 5-minute Friday fun. Scanning and adding the photo occurred after the buzzer. :) It's been one of those weeks that feels at once too long and too brief: too long because of fatigue and too short because of the self-induced pressure of all that remains on my list. Consequently, when I saw on friends' blogs the word for this week, it seemed the right time to dive on in.


May you find deep rest and replenishment this weekend, which is a long one for Americans. Fitting, isn't it? A long-feeling week followed by a long weekend. As Ann Voskamp says, all is grace.

6 comments:

  1. Ah. Rest. Thanks for sharing. Today I feel like I'm carrying a heavy pack.

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  2. Welcome - I hope you have a great weekend - great to hook up with you from the Gypsy Mama. I really liked reading your post, and look forward to reading more about your travels. I know that feeling of laying down a heavy burden, and I love the worship song - lay it down at his feet. Lay it down, lay it down - thank you for reminding me of that.

    Nics
    www.saltandsparkle.com

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  3. I LOVE that you registered for backpacks. That is so very precious.

    May your weekend be filled with both kinds of rest! :)

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  4. There is indeed no better rest than Christ's...especially when we've been carrying backpacks of lesser value things. I appreciate you included other people's expectations. Yes, I need rest from that. Thank you for your precious reminder. (And welcome to Five Minute Friday--its' great to have you here!)

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  5. Yay! I am so glad to have found you here in this blogosphere via Gypsy Mama...I am made some of the sweetest blog friends through 5 minute Friday and I look forward to learning more about you too.

    I love that you guys asked for back packs instead of other things....that fascinates me about you and makes me want to know you and your story more.

    I also love how you talked about both kinds of rest....good reminders {especially for us perfectionists} to remember WHERE our rest truly comes from.

    Thank you for stopping by my blog. So glad that you joining Lisa-Jo this week, and I hope you will keep doing so. Either way...I look forward to connecting more and more....

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  6. What a sweet photo and wonderful thoughts on rest. I can feel the weight of that pack. I once fell backwards on mine in a train station in Belgium. My friends were laughing too hard to help me up, so I was a stranded turtle for a few minutes.
    I experience rest the same way you describe. Glad you participated in the 5 minute Friday--I enjoyed reading your thoughts:)

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Thank you for sharing your day with me! Your presence here is a gift. *You* are a gift. Right now I am unable to reply to every comment, but please know I read and pray for each and every commenter. Grace and peace to you in Christ.