“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity.” – John Muir (reknown Scottish-American naturalist)
This past summer my family vacationed in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. It was a beautiful place to hike, with powerful waterfalls, rushing streams, towering trees and breathtaking vistas. Getting outdoors may not be for everyone, but for us it’s a priority. We don’t get out on the trails as much as we want, though. As we get older, I find it takes more intentionality.
How about for you? Where do you like to go when you’re over-worked, over-stimulated by work stress, needing a place of natural beauty instead of pre-fab decor? Do you head to the beach? The mountains? The back 40 behind the farm-fields? The wilderness? You have permission to get out there and get some rest!
Jesus repeatedly in the gospel takes time to get away and get some rest.
Mark tells the story of Jesus sending out his twelve apostles to travel to the villages of Galilee to proclaim the kingdom of God and heal all who are sick. The apostles come back to Jesus after their journey to report on all the amazing things that had happened. Surrounded by many thankful people, and those still wanting healed, Jesus told his starving friends, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Is rest a gift to your rhythm of life, or is it a luxury? God gives us a whole day of rest each week, if we will take it. And he’s given us a stunningly amazing Creation to enjoy, if we will get out there.
Beaches and mountains are vital to restoration, but so can local areas for hikes, sitting around ponds, relaxing around a little campfire, breathing deeply in the fresh morning air of a sunrise. Getting to a quiet place to rest doesn’t have to be expensive or clog your busy schedule.
In the story that Mark tells, the attempt by Jesus to get away with his apostles gets thwarted. People from the villages come swarming to Jesus’ quiet place to be with him. As tired and hungry as he is, Jesus has compassion on them, “because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus welcomes them, he teaches them, feeds them, and then sends them home. He sends his disciples to the other side of the lake to rest, while he heads up the side of mountain to pray.
The plans we make to rest and enjoy stillness, to pray and soak up the quiet, don’t always come easily. We have to stay flexible, big-hearted, and committed.
But sometimes we don’t believe we need or deserve rest. Work has a way of wearing us down though, schedules have a way of carrying us along at a faster speed then our minds or bodies can keep up with. Rest is a way to press a necessary pause button, so our souls can catch up with our bodies.
I really like being in the woods. And I love a small fire by the lake at sunset. I enjoy landscaping on a sunny day. What’s better than a good book and steaming coffee on the back porch in the early morning?
What are the ways for you that you can creatively get away by yourself and get some rest? Keep it simple, keep it personal, keep it refreshing.
Jesus invites us to rest. It’s a way to be with him. It’s a way to be sustained by him in the work he has invited us to do with him. As followers of Jesus, what keeps us from resting like he rests?
If we’re following him, we have permission to make Sundays more restful, to insert more get-aways into our schedules. The work will always be there. So refresh your spirit, mind body with some rest, in a solitary place.
Hear the words of Jesus spoken to you: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
Need some ideas?
