Everything Must Rest

I’ve been feeling rather weary lately. The state of the world has consumed my thoughts and I have felt my stress levels rising. I called out to God for an answer, because I know he has called us to live in this world, but he also promises us joy in all circumstances. How is that possible when the world looks such a mess? I think there are many answers to this, but each begin with doing what Jesus did, that is going to the Father first. The first thing he has done is called me to leave behind the world of social media. It’s fast paced and never sleeps and it was leaving my mind whirring. I am sure some people can handle it with discipline, but I’m not a creature of moderation and it was starting to not be good for me.

Within hours of me deciding to leave Facebook, God led me to start looking at what he had given to us and to share his goodness with others, to tell a story of his creation and how he speaks to us through it.

This poem below was inspired by a walk in the garden yesterday. Jonathan is doing online schooling and his mind is too full of screens, so I have decided to take a walk with him each day, to chat and to take a break. As we walked, I saw our garden starting to wake up from its winter’s rest, signs of new life were everywhere, green shoots of hope. It reminded me, that as we seek to live in this world, we can look at the current state of this world and be aware of it, but also to balance that with taking time to meet with God in his creation. His creation has rested and is now ready for Spring. We too need to take time to rest. I am trying to learn, feel free to follow our journey, as I learn to rest in Him.

Everything Must Rest

Beneath the ice cold frosty glow,
Signs of hope begin to show,
Green buds, like arrows, seeking light,
Break the soil, prove their might.

Their strength lay hidden in the ground,
Whiles winter’s fingers moved around,
Touching everything with cold,
The frozen landscape’s story told,

Of a sleeping earth at peace to wait,
Not waking up a day too late,
It knows the cues God put in place,
To give each plant a time and space.

All living things have times and seasons,
God gave them to us for a reason.
They’re there to show us when to pause,
It’s written into nature’s laws.

We ignore the rhythm and pay the price,
Our bodies pay the sacrifice.
We sacrifice the gift of rest,
When we rush ahead as we think best.

We need to stop and hear the hush,
For God is never in a rush,
He knows that rest for all is needed,
It’s good advice, if it is heeded.

If we want strength like the growing bud,
We need to rest like we know we should.
How much more can humans take,
When rest is something we forsake?

Can we now stop and and have a thought,
For all our precious Father taught?
He showed a little glimpse of Heaven,
When he said rest, one day in seven.