Saturday, May 23, 2009

Unwinding

Tonight, I took the advice of friends, Abby and Trent, and am relaxing at home. This was actually a difficult decision because some other friends were going to a new Mexican restaurant in Plymouth. Actually, though, in light of my last experience eating this type of food on Saturday night and then running on Sunday, this was probably the right decision! In all seriousness though, does anyone else think that the pace is almost frantic lately? I mean, it seems like we bounce around from event to event, activity to activity, place to place, and it just never ends. When Chad and I were young, we used to play Atari Pong. (My favorite was when the block would get "stuck" and just go back and forth.) That is what it kind of feels like - just going and going. It gets tiresome and exhausting. So in all honesty, there is a lot of merit to unplugging for a little while. Tonight, as I'm resting here, I'm reminded of some verses from Matthew:

"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." (28-30, Message)

These verses say to keep company with Jesus. However, this is not easy. In fact, the frantic pace that seems to becoming more and more of the norm makes this incredibly challenging. It makes it incredibly difficult to listen for God's voice, to be aware of God's presence. Yesterday, I had a gmail conversation with a friend that I have not talked with in quite some time. This friend also had some wisdom to share:

He knows....you just have to block out the noise and listen.

So that's what I'm going to do for the rest of the night.

Take care,

Todd

2 comments:

Justin said...

Sabbath! Rest! It's funny how the christian sabbath can easily become the busiest 24 hours for many christians.

http://technosabbatarian.blogspot.com/2008/11/inbeginning.html

Don said...

Thanks for sharing Todd...can't say how much I relate to the idea of feeling like I am always coming and going, whether it be finishing a case at work, a project around the house, or traveling to events with friends and families. All things that need (and should be done), but what a great reminder from you (and Matthew) to be vigilant in taking a step back and just listening every now and then.