Have you ever wanted to walk out of a sermon? Just get up and leave because what you heard was enough and you didn't really want to hear anymore? I had that experience this Sunday. Now before you think our senior pastor must not be very good (he's great!) or that I'm a complete hypocrite let me explain. Lately everything I've been reading, seeing, and most of all experiencing has been CHALLENGING. Our Sunday school class went through the book Radical by David Platt. Now we've moved on to The Whole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. At night I read Kisses from Katie to the girls. The blogs I read are challenging and inspiring me to do more, be more, love more, give more.
Here's the thing: I like to do things. I want to be a part of everything. I want to make a difference (ok lots of differences) A little is never enough for me. I'm always writing a plan to make myself better as a Christian, wife, mom, home-schooler, housekeeper, cook, blogger, friend, etc. etc. Typically, I LOVE NEW IDEAS AND PLANS. I love the challenge. Normally, I thrive on this life but lately, I'm exhausted, phsically, emotionally, and spiritually.
But I haven't explained why I wanted to get up and walk out of church five minutes into the sermon.
The sermon this week was from Mark 6:30-40. Having just returned from their first time being sent out to minister, the disciples return to Jesus. His first order of business for them is to get them some rest after a busy and trying season. Our pastor went on to apply this to us, the 4th commandment, and how God has designed us to need these seasons and times of rest. If only I had had the energy I would have given a hardy "Amen!" and then gone home and taken a nap. However, the sermon kept going and proceeded to tell us the other things we need to do to be effective "ministers." During the second point is where I started to struggle. While Jesus heads for rest with the disciples we see that they encounter people in need and interrupt their rest to minister to them. Therein lies the crux of my problem I feel the need for rest but I SEE the need for doing more. How do I rest when their is a hurting world all around me? How do I rest when my children need more? I feel simultaneously pushed to do more and do less and ultimately find myself doing nothing but not resting well either.
So if you've been in this spot what are the ways you have found effective rest? Is the season of rest something we seek out or do we just keep running on fumes (and by fumes of course I mean the grace of God) until God makes it clear that NOW is the time to rest? Obviously my home is going to get MORE crazy so how can I seek out this emotional and spiritual rest while simultaneously preparing for the next season of craziness? Please note that I've already tried: coffee, ice-cream, candy, and miscellaneous other treats to achieve this rest. None has been successful yet but I will keep trying them just in case it takes some time for them to work.
Here's the thing: I like to do things. I want to be a part of everything. I want to make a difference (ok lots of differences) A little is never enough for me. I'm always writing a plan to make myself better as a Christian, wife, mom, home-schooler, housekeeper, cook, blogger, friend, etc. etc. Typically, I LOVE NEW IDEAS AND PLANS. I love the challenge. Normally, I thrive on this life but lately, I'm exhausted, phsically, emotionally, and spiritually.
 |
| Sweet, sweet rest |
But I haven't explained why I wanted to get up and walk out of church five minutes into the sermon.
The sermon this week was from Mark 6:30-40. Having just returned from their first time being sent out to minister, the disciples return to Jesus. His first order of business for them is to get them some rest after a busy and trying season. Our pastor went on to apply this to us, the 4th commandment, and how God has designed us to need these seasons and times of rest. If only I had had the energy I would have given a hardy "Amen!" and then gone home and taken a nap. However, the sermon kept going and proceeded to tell us the other things we need to do to be effective "ministers." During the second point is where I started to struggle. While Jesus heads for rest with the disciples we see that they encounter people in need and interrupt their rest to minister to them. Therein lies the crux of my problem I feel the need for rest but I SEE the need for doing more. How do I rest when their is a hurting world all around me? How do I rest when my children need more? I feel simultaneously pushed to do more and do less and ultimately find myself doing nothing but not resting well either.
So if you've been in this spot what are the ways you have found effective rest? Is the season of rest something we seek out or do we just keep running on fumes (and by fumes of course I mean the grace of God) until God makes it clear that NOW is the time to rest? Obviously my home is going to get MORE crazy so how can I seek out this emotional and spiritual rest while simultaneously preparing for the next season of craziness? Please note that I've already tried: coffee, ice-cream, candy, and miscellaneous other treats to achieve this rest. None has been successful yet but I will keep trying them just in case it takes some time for them to work.
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