Discovering Rest

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“But, I’m not tired!” I said in between yawns as I tried to convince my mother that I did not need a nap. I was around five years old, and mom told me that I had to take a nap. Resting seemed such a waste of time, and my playing was so engaging. I could have so much more time for friends and my play projects if my mom did not insist on naps. She did not understand.

Today, I wish someone would tell me it is time to take a nap. The stresses of life, the never-ending to-do list, and the expectations of those around me are exhausting. Sometimes the problems press in so close that I lose the ability to see the big picture. Life turns into a perpetual grind, and I realize it is time to step back, take care of myself, and put things back into perspective.

Living in the Rocky Mountains, I continuously have the opportunity to put into practice the words of Psalm 121:1-2, “I will lift up my eyes unto the hills — From whence cometh my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” (NKJV) The mountains around me reveal the majesty of the creation surrounding me and the power of the Creator.

There seem to be three general areas of rest, physical rest, mental rest, and spiritual rest. Obtaining the correct type and amount of rest in each sphere is essential for efficient functioning.

We are all familiar with sleep as rest. There comes that point when we can no longer function until we spend time sleeping. Sleep provides us with physical rest. The physical rest gives us the strength to carry out whatever tasks we need to do each day. Sometimes physical rest will open the way for us to obtain mental and spiritual rest.

Helping my children understand when they are tired can be difficult. Many times I have told one of my children to get some sleep, and we will discuss the matter in the morning. Their tired, sleepy state makes it almost impossible for them to understand what I am trying to explain to them. The next morning when they are well-rested, they will usually be able to grasp what I am saying.

Some would call the second type of rest, self-care. I have found that time spent in the forest is refreshing for my mind. While the hike up the mountain may be physically tiring, the mental renewal makes it well worth the effort. Climbing mountains is not what everyone prefers; therefore, self-care will vary from person to person. One person will prefer the beach, another will desire the plains, and I love the mountains. Maybe you prefer a quiet sunset or perhaps some handcraft. The point of self-care is to allow mental renewal. This renewal of the mind enables the proper perspective and correct positioning of priorities.

I believe that it is the third type of rest that Jesus is speaking of in Matthew 11:28 when He offers rest to those who are weary and have many burdens. Jesus seems to be speaking of spiritual rest. I have noticed that when we are spiritually ill at ease and unrested, we seem to have increased difficulty obtaining the other types of rest as well. When we have placed our faith and trust in God, He provides that rest for our spirit that enables our minds to be renewed in periods of self-care and helps us to obtain physical rest when we sleep.

These types of rest are intertwined and often rely on each other for the others to happen. 1 Kings 19 gives us an example of this interdependence of the kinds of rest. This chapter contains the story of Elijah as he flees from Queen Jezebel. In the preceding section, Elijah had shown his nation God’s incredible power and ability to answer prayer. The Queen had threatened to kill him because of the activities of the day. Elijah hurriedly left the area, and the physical demands of the previous chapter and his rapid evacuation depleted his physical reserves. In his exhausted state, he requested that God would allow him to die. Instead, God allowed him to fall asleep under a juniper tree. After Elijah slept for a while, God sent an angel to awaken him, give him food to eat, and water to drink. Then God allowed him to go back to sleep. It was after this physical rest that God gave him the assignment of going to a place called Horeb. God knew that Elijah was so exhausted that he had to have physical rest to enable him to receive mental and spiritual rest. It was this physical rest that enabled Elijah to go to where he could obtain the mental and spiritual rest that he needed so that he could continue his work.

I have served as a pastor and know that sometimes the most spiritual activity we can do is to get physical rest. Resting can put us in a position to receive that mental and spiritual renewal we need. I have difficulty resting when I can see so many things that are still uncompleted. I see so many unfilled positions, yet I must trust God to carry out His plan.

Many years ago, I was the pastor of a church and facing all the stresses that a pastor faces typically. I was also trying to complete some improvements to the property that the church and parsonage were on. One of those improvements included hand digging a ditch to put in an electrical conduit. While digging the trench, I began to feel unwell physically. I ended up hospitalized for a day or two.

An older gentleman was my roommate in the hospital. We were conversing one day, and he found out what had caused my hospital stay. He looked at me and gave me the following advice, “If God wants that ditch dug, He will get it dug without you.” This simple advice helped me realize that I did not have to do everything. I did not have to be a workaholic to accomplish God’s plan. I am unable to force God’s plan to happen, yet if it is God’s plan, nothing can prevent it from happening. God wants me to rest in Him.

Failure to allow myself to rest is an indirect way of saying that I do not trust God. It indicates I do not believe He can control the events and outcomes in my life. Resting in God’s shadow is not a matter that I refuse to take any action or refuse to work. Instead, it is that I rest in God’s shadow awaiting instruction from Him and then take action that will help me to continue to live in His shadow. Living in God’s shadow enables us to rest.

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Perception or Reality?

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“Are we almost there yet?” Every parent has heard this question at one point or another. Even when a trip has just started, this question will arise. The child asking has no concept of how long the trip will be. Therefore their perspective is that the car ride should soon end. Five minutes is a lifetime to a three-year-old. If the car trip lasts longer than that, they believe that the journey is never-ending.

As adults, we understand how long the trip is and what landmarks and milestones we are passing. We see progress because we know more than the small, anxious child in the backseat.

Perception is tricky. Our culture, our past experiences, and even our prejudices influence our understanding of things around us. These influencing agents will often shape the basis of our reasoning without us being aware of it. Our perceptions help to form our thoughts, and our thoughts precipitate our actions. For this reason, we must make sure we are taking a long-term look at reality.

I remember a discussion I had with a pastor. He asked me about some point of theology, and I gave him my answer. He stated that he disagreed with me. He then laid out his case for his position. I listened and realized that he was making the same point I had made. The difference was that he was using different words and phrases. Due to his cultural background, he used certain words to express specific thoughts, and due to my cultural history, I stated the same ideas with different terms. Because of the difference in word choice, he perceived that I disagreed with him.

Where we are when we view something affects how we will see it. We can read a scripture verse one time, and it will encourage us in our situation. In a different setting, the same verse will give us support in a different manner.

I have a chicken coop roof that has two colors of roofing on it. The north side has silver tin roofing. The south side has white metal roofing. My neighbors on the south would declare the building has a white roof. The neighbors on the north would argue that the building has a silver roof. Each person would be correct, but their point of perspective makes a difference in what they see.

The author of Psalm 139:16 speaks of God seeing our entire life at once. We must trust God as He guides us because He can see our whole life journey at one time. God’s infinite knowledge gives Him a complete understanding of our lives. We tend to fixate on the moment, but God sees the entirety of our life. We must remember that we can only see a limited portion of our lifetime at once.

My perspective changes if I hike to the top of a mountain. When I am in the valley, I can see the mountain. At the top of the peak, I can see many ranges of mountains and even into the next state. Even with a mountaintop view, my perspective of the Rocky Mountains, as a whole chain, is limited. The Rocky Mountains stretch from Alaska down through Canada, the lower 48 states, and beyond. The most I can see is 100 miles from my mountaintop vantage point. I think I can see a lot, but a map tells me I see very little. Sometimes we get caught up in circumstances of the moment our perception changes, and we stop seeing the big picture.

Even when I can see mountain ranges for many miles, I cannot see into every valley. My perception of what I see is limited. I cannot tell if the valleys have sunlight pastures or if they are full of cliffs and rockslides. The only thing I am sure of is that there will be times of breath-taking views and easy walking and other times of forcing myself to take one more step if I plan to hike to the current horizon.

We must be careful with our perceptions of others because we do not know what valleys they have been through or what rough terrain they are currently walking.

Just because you think you perceive something does not mean that it is true. You may not have all the facts. You may have failed to figure in a cultural difference, or you may have misread the other person’s motive or attitude.

My father used to describe people who formed opinions without full information, with this one-liner, “They sprained their opinion by jumping to conclusions.” Our perceptions affect how we view life, the people around us, and the conclusions we make.

God does not have limitations like humans do. Scripture tells us he knows the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) He sees our entire plan and what the actual results will be before the implementation of our strategy. He knows if we intend to seek His kingdom or to seek our kingdom. He knows our motives, attitudes, and reasoning.

Most of the time, we base our assumptions on our current situation. We fail to take into account the past and the possibility of change occurring in the future. Our perception in the hard times tends toward reality without context.

Perhaps some of the best advice I have ever received was from friends older than I am. The recommendation came during an exceptionally severe storm of life I was facing. It was merely, “This storm won’t last forever.” Based on my perspective in the middle of the gale, it seemed like the storm would never end. My survival seemed uncertain. I felt like I would never see bright sunny days again. My fixation on the situation gave me a faulty perspective. My friends had been through the storms of life and had a better understanding. They knew that, while stormy times happen throughout life, each storm eventually ends.

Our all-knowing God invites us to live in His shadow and to allow Him to help us put our perceptions in a proper perspective.

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Difficult Obedience

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My children love scavenger hunts. They excitedly read each hint and go in search of the next clue based on the instructions they have just received. It is interesting to watch them puzzle over the last tip they have discovered and then go searching for the next tidbit of information.

Understanding the meaning of the clue is essential, but following the instructions is critical. Many times if they are having trouble, it will be because they have not thoroughly read the instructions or are not following the instructions.

I would love to say that failure to follow instruction is a problem limited to children. I cannot. Failure to follow directions has been a problem as long as humans have been on the earth. Adam and Eve had difficulty following instructions and look at the mess that resulted and perpetuated ever since.

Moses is known as a great leader of his people, beginning in the book of Exodus. Yet, even he struggled with obedience. Moses was tending sheep when a bush burst into flame. Then a voice tells him to remove his shoes. God’s voice continues to give him instructions as to what he is to do. Yet he finds the strength to object to directions from God.

Moses used excuses to avoid obedience. He said things like; I am not influential enough. They will not believe that I have the authority I claim. I am not eloquent. What if they will not listen to me?

God acknowledged Moses’ objections but still said, “Go.” Moses tried one last time to avoid obeying by saying, Thanks, but You need someone else. (see Exodus 3 – 4) I shake my head in disbelief at Moses’ actions. Then I stop and hang my head because I realize I have also voiced objections to instructions from God.

During 2012 God began to speak to me about starting a Spanish language church service for the Latin Americans in a nearby city. My side of the conversation sounded something like this.

“That is a great idea, God, but You have the wrong person. I don’t speak Spanish. I am unfamiliar with Latin American culture, and I don’t know where to find enough people to start a service. Good thought. Thanks for thinking of me, but you have the wrong person.”

Similar to the way God spoke to Moses, the answer I received was, “I know all that, and I still am choosing you.”

I am no Moses, but it is interesting that with all the years between when he lived and the present day that the excuses are still basically the same. Humans tend to want to stay where they are comfortable and in control. I knew that to obey meant learning a new language, going into unknown territory, learning new cultural customs, and quite possibly some unfamiliar food. I was to lead a group, and I didn’t even know where I was going.

I found that if I just held God’s hand, He would guide me a step at a time. God provided people to help me who were fluent in Spanish and were familiar with the culture and customs. Being obedient to God, I served as pastor to that group for a little over two years. I met people in the community from many countries throughout Central and South America. They were people who were mostly invisible to most residents of the city. They ranged from cleaners to medical professionals, but they all had a desire to hear a church service in their native language. I would have never met them if I had not obeyed.

I wish I could say that I have always obeyed without question since then, but I cannot. I am still human, and I tend to question what I do not understand. I tend to become anxious when I cannot see the entire path from where I am to where it reaches the goal. I worry about the results; will they be good enough? Perhaps what God is trying to teach me is to trust Him. God wants me to believe Him so much that I obey, confident that He has a plan. He is in charge of the results.

Obedience usually is not a sudden jump into the unknown. When Moses received instruction to lead the people out of bondage, he already knew the people. He had grown up in the palace, so he knew the proper protocol. Yet, to him, his compliance still seemed risky because the Pharaoh might execute him.

Obedience would not be as hard if there were no unknowns. It is the unknown that makes us hesitate and question.

The first mission trip I ever went on was an exercise in faith and obedience. I had not traveled by air for many years and was very worried about all the new security at the airports. I had never been to a country where I did not understand the language, and I had not been through customs before. (Yes, I am still working on fully obeying 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” NIV)

Going on the trip was an act of obedience and a step of faith. God supplied the funds by providing me with more work than usual and made my flights and trip through customs uneventful.

The team ended up being myself and one other person working with the onsite missionary. We helped a church pour concrete beams in preparation to expand their building and helped to build beds for a training center. My obedience left my heart open for the refreshing from God that I received while on this trip.

Many times God asks for our obedience to help us be in the position to receive bountiful gifts from Him. These gifts come in many forms like comfort, wisdom, supplied needs, renewal of our spirit, and more. Perhaps the greatest blessing that we reap from obeying God’s instruction is the ability to live in His Shadow. (Psalm 91:1)

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Need A Guide?

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The pathway was steep and narrow. The ground on one side, steeply rose, and on the other side dropped away just as steeply. On the left, I could reach out and touch the mountain. On the right, a misstep would send me for an extended tumble down the mountainside. Part of the path was through loose shale. Here and there, the trail narrowed to 12 inches wide or less. Yet the pathway was clear. There was no doubt which way I should lead the group as I climbed the mountain. Occasionally another trail would stray off in a different direction only to fade into oblivion within a few yards. The correct path was clear, worn down to the soil, and indicated with blaze marks on the trees. 

In the western part of Montana, towns commonly put the first letter of their name on the mountain above them. I was guiding some visitors on a hike to the “A.” The “A” was across the valley from the town of Alberton and about 1,200 feet higher altitude. Being the leader, I had to pace my visitors so they could complete the climb.

I have often wished that all the paths in life were as easy to follow as the one I hiked that day. I seem to have trouble knowing what direction the path of life is going next. I find that I get stuck in the switchbacks of life. I spend time deliberating which way to go when there is an intersection. Maybe I have trouble seeing what is in front of me, or perhaps I am just stubborn, but these hard times help me to recognize the value of having a guide. Someone who knows which way to go and what the results of a wrong turn will be.

A key aspect of using a guide is to trust the person guiding you. We must have faith even when the trail is challenging to travel and takes us into unfamiliar territory. God is our Guide through life. He leads us along, urging us to stay so close to Him that we live in His shadow. 

 Several years ago, my wife received a diagnosis of vocal cord cancer. We were anxious not just because of the danger of having cancer but also because during her cancer treatment; she would lack the ability to continue in her job. We prayed. We asked God for miraculous healing. We begged for God to sustain us through this time. Yet God’s answer seemed to be, “Just hold tightly to my hand.” We wanted to know the plan. We wanted to see the path ahead of time, but God said, “Just trust Me.” We worried. We tried to plan how we would survive. We attempted to prepare. Nothing could have prepared us for what God did.

 During the time my wife was off work, gifts appeared in the mailbox from unexpected and sometimes unknown sources. Her coworkers donated leave time. Vehicles would show up with trunk loads of food. A group running a local food drive showed up with an SUV full of food. We still have no idea how they even heard about us. The funds always appeared just in time to pay the bills, and we came to understand that God was guiding us on this path. He knew where He was leading us. He had a plan, and we needed to trust Him as He guided us. We could not see any way forward. We were not even sure there was a path to follow, but God knew the route.

Sometimes we ask God, “Why am I in this lonely place?” or, “Why do I need to do things that make me uncomfortable?” We find comfort when we realize that God always provides for those who are willing to be guided by Him. We need to hold on and see what the destination He is leading us too.

I was hiking with a friend when we encountered a small cliff that blocked our way. He scrambled up the face and got on top. He was several inches taller than I was and could reach further than I could. I tried to follow. I got most of the way up the cliff face and could not reach the last few inches to pull myself up over the edge. Then his hand appeared. He said, “Here. Grab my hand.” I grabbed ahold of his hand, and he pulled me up over the edge.

Sometimes we are on the cliff face with nowhere to go, and God offers us His hand. He says, “Let me pull you up.” We desperately cling to the eroding handholds we have as we question, “Can I trust you, God? How can I be confident that You will not drop me?”  We recognize that we will have to release our grip on the crumbling stone under our fingers, and we might fall as we reach for God. We hesitate as our strength begins to fail, and the handhold we are trusting continues to dissolve under our fingers. God has never dropped anyone who was reaching for Him. He has always caught those who slipped as they stretched in His direction. He holds them and protects them.

When I was a teenager, the place we lived was within a few hundred yards of public land. It was not unusual for me to tell my parents I was going hiking, give them a general area, and then disappear for several hours. One day I was going hiking, and I took our dog with me. I set out with a specific location I wanted to hike to that day. I was only a short distance on my hike when the dog stood across the path in front of me and refused to let me pass. She kept looking down the trail and positioning herself between me and whatever it was that she perceived as danger.  She had never behaved like this before. Eventually, I gave up and headed home. She stayed and kept watch until she felt I was far enough away from the danger, and then she ran to catch up to me.

When we feel that the path we are walking in life is blocked, it is a good idea to stop and see why. Perhaps we have quit following the Guide and started to follow personal preference instead. Maybe God is trying to keep us from stepping into a disaster.  We must trust the Guide, follow His lead, and live in the protection of His shadow.

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Friends are like Suspenders

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Friends are like Suspenders

Grandpa always wore a belt and suspenders. Relatives accused him of being a pessimist. They claimed he worried too much. He said he just wanted to be sure nothing could go wrong. Perhaps if he used only a belt or only suspenders, something might happen to cause his pants to fall. Using both, one would hold if the other failed.

As a child, I can recall several preachers who jokingly suggested that Ecclesiastes 4:9 – 10 was instruction wear both a belt and suspenders. Grandpa certainly seemed to follow that advice. I grew older and reread Ecclesiastes 4:9 – 10 and then went on and read through verse 12. This scripture was not about a belt and suspenders!  The more I read, the more I understood. This passage is about having friendships with other humans. The author indicates that while having one friend is good, having two or more is better. 

Friendships behave a lot like suspenders during difficult times of life. Everyone has heard that it is the difficult times of life that show who your real friends are. Who was willing to step forward, even if it was inconvenient for them, to help you when they saw you had more than you could handle? Who spoke up when they saw you were discouraged and tried to encourage you? Who saw that you were becoming disconnected from your circle of friends and worked to help you reestablish that connection?

I live in western Montana. Snow is not uncommon here. I recognize that my abilities and reactions on snowy and icy roads are not nearly as good as they were when I was 20. If the weather is hazardous, I try to stay home, even if it means missing local events that I would usually attend. A few years ago, the winter was worse than usual. We had so much snow that only about 6 inches of the tops of the fence posts in the field showed above the snow. Due to the weather, I was snowbound for a long time. Then one day, I received a text from a friend who was also part of a group I had joined. The message stated that the group missed me and that they were looking forward to when I could attend again. They offered understanding support for where I was and encouragement to rejoin the group. It helped to brighten the dreary days until the snow melted, and the roads were safe for me to drive again. This friend acted as “suspenders” for me at that time. 

Many times we start to believe that we must pursue God solitarily. We mistakenly begin to think that we must only find encouragement in scripture or prayer. Joining with others who are in pursuit of God is healthy, and something scripture encourages. (Hebrews 10:24 – 25) The idea of these verses is to help each other to stay focused on living in God’s shadow.

This matter of mutual encouragement reminds me of when I was about nine years old. I had begun to collect postage stamps. My dad was a stamp collector, and I picked up the hobby from him.  I displayed my collection in a “Stamp Album.” The album helped me know what I had and what other variations of stamps were still to be collected. My dad and I would go to “Stamp Club.”  Viewing other people’s stamp collections and listening to lectures about stamps at the club would invigorate my interest in the hobby. Once or twice a year, we would attend a stamp show. At these shows, people would have all kinds of stamps and other old postage related materials for sale. These stamp shows would also encourage me to work on my collection. After a club meeting or a show, I would spend time properly affixing stamps in my album. I searched my loose stamps looking for any still missing from the collection.  The problem was that the “Stamp club” was only once a month, and the shows were even less frequent. In those weeks in between, my interest would begin to wane. I would almost forget about my stamp collection. Then the next meeting would excite me again. Eventually, our family moved to another area. In this new area, it was a long drive to any stamp club. My interest withered. I would occasionally get my album out and look at what I had collected and then put it back. There was no impetus to continue the collection. Today I know that my old album is somewhere in my house, but I do not know where. I have not even looked at it in several years. 

I have found that usually, if we think we are alone, we will eventually get discouraged and quit whatever it is we are doing. Believing we are alone will lead to discouragement in our pursuit of God as well.  Perhaps that is why we have scripture verses like 1 Samuel 23:16, Ecclesiastes 4:9 – 12, and Hebrews 10:24 – 25. Each of these speaks of finding or receiving encouragement to continue through fellowship with likeminded people.

This association with other likeminded people works to encourage all parties involved. Sometimes we are excited and feeling extra blessed and can help others. Other times we will have to be supported by those around us. Sometimes we need someone to come alongside us and kindly remind us of what our goal is and whom we are pursuing. 

Living in God’s shadow, we learn how to live pleasing to Him and how to live in fellowship with other believers. In that fellowship, we encourage and challenge each other to live in God’s shadow. As friends, we are “suspenders” for each other. We support each other. We encourage the discouraged. We share the things we find in scripture, and we move closer to God.  

Be “suspenders” for a friend today. Encourage someone who is discouraged. Draw others with you in your quest to live in God’s shadow.

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