Rest and Wonder

It was a tranquil scene: small waves rippled along the shoreline, fishing boats drifted across the sea, birds glided in the wind. That morning I’d left the chaos of the school traffic, the noisy market, and the cars zipping to work, and walked over to a quiet beach in my town, with no other agenda but to walk, think and pray.

As I looked at the open blue sky, the waning moon, and the contrails of the airplanes, my senses settled and I thanked God. Behind me was the town – messy, dirty and busy – before me was the sparkling blue Tyrrhenian Sea. And all I’d had to do to find rest that morning was shift my focus away from the noise, the dirt and the mess, and focus on God’s gifts of nature, beauty, and peace.

Is going to the ocean or to the mountains a prerequisite for rest? A thousand times no. God can and does meet us in the mess and chaos of our lives and He gives us supernatural soul rest.

There are times, however, when Jesus calls us to “come away with Him” and to “go alone to a quiet place” (Mark 6:31-33).

Have you made time to be alone with Jesus recently? If not, joy awaits you there! So go!