Resting
It's midnight and it's still very bright outside. It's that time of year in northern Canada where the sun just swoops around the sky - without really rising and setting as we're used to. It's not hard to physically fall asleep when it's this bright outside; however, it is hard to retreat to your room and actually go to bed. I have to convince myself otherwise that I'm not wasting the daylight by sleeping.
Before I sleep tonight, I thank God that I'm about to sleep feeling rested. For the first time in a long time - maybe months, I feel rested. I've never been good at resting. I sleep, I enjoy the odd nap, I like vacations, but there's the sense of peace that I think really allows you to feel rested - mind and body. Today was great. I had a lie-in this morning, talked on the phone with my sister, biked downtown, read in the library, went to a cafe (with gf treats!) and sat out on the patio and read all of Romans, Charlotte called, took the long way home biking, ate dinner, talked with mom on phone, then went out biking some more. I biked more today than I ever have in my life. I love my new road bike.
Whenever people talk to me about taking a sabbath, I always think how bored I'd get from resting. I could never really pin-point what activities I enjoyed doing that made me feel rested because some days I could play tennis, soccer, go running, spend hours cooking, read a book...all things I really enjoy doing...but they weren't necessarily the recipe to feeling rested.
I realized today that I can't rest unless I have peace, a peace that only God can provide. I also learned today that God can provide this peace even when life seems chaotic. These past 6 weeks have been amazing. Being in China, visiting friends, exploring new sites, meeting new people, seeing family who I haven't seen in a couple years was great. Then moving to Whitehorse, starting work, living out of my pack while I find somewhere more permanent to live, doubting my decision to come here ... this all created a level of anxiety that I just accepted as normal. Reading through Romans today enlarged my view of God. A lot stood out to me today, but I'll just share a few verses from Romans 5.
Before I sleep tonight, I thank God that I'm about to sleep feeling rested. For the first time in a long time - maybe months, I feel rested. I've never been good at resting. I sleep, I enjoy the odd nap, I like vacations, but there's the sense of peace that I think really allows you to feel rested - mind and body. Today was great. I had a lie-in this morning, talked on the phone with my sister, biked downtown, read in the library, went to a cafe (with gf treats!) and sat out on the patio and read all of Romans, Charlotte called, took the long way home biking, ate dinner, talked with mom on phone, then went out biking some more. I biked more today than I ever have in my life. I love my new road bike.
Whenever people talk to me about taking a sabbath, I always think how bored I'd get from resting. I could never really pin-point what activities I enjoyed doing that made me feel rested because some days I could play tennis, soccer, go running, spend hours cooking, read a book...all things I really enjoy doing...but they weren't necessarily the recipe to feeling rested.
I realized today that I can't rest unless I have peace, a peace that only God can provide. I also learned today that God can provide this peace even when life seems chaotic. These past 6 weeks have been amazing. Being in China, visiting friends, exploring new sites, meeting new people, seeing family who I haven't seen in a couple years was great. Then moving to Whitehorse, starting work, living out of my pack while I find somewhere more permanent to live, doubting my decision to come here ... this all created a level of anxiety that I just accepted as normal. Reading through Romans today enlarged my view of God. A lot stood out to me today, but I'll just share a few verses from Romans 5.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.So whether I bike all day or lie in a hammock and read a book, it is only because the Spirit dwells in me that I am able to fully experience a peace that will have me feeling rested.
Comments
Happy for you! xx