Rest

I do not feel like I am currently in a time of rest.  Quite the opposite in fact.  I feel like my days are full and never quite long enough as I care for girls and babies and a ministry as a whole.  We are doing all the things for the store that come with a new year, paying taxes and getting books counted.  I am cleaning and organized and planning and settling my house for the start of my family.  I am planning a wedding.  And I am still trying to be part of my team and a friend and a daughter and and…

In the midst of all of that I read a friend’s blog this morning.  She is in a time of rest and it was just such a sweet reminder that God ordains every one of our days, every one of our seasons.  Whether it is a time of business or rest, it comes from the Lord and HE is going to use it for our good and to give glory to Him.  We simply need to trust…  and one day I will be in a time of rest and that is always harder for me than doing.  So hopefully I’ll be able to remember.

There is no music during a musical rest, but the rest is part of the making of the music. In the melody of our life, the music is separated here and there by rests. During those rests, we foolishly believe we have come to the end of the song. God sends us times of forced leisure by allowing sickness, disappointed plans, and frustrated efforts. He brings a sudden pause in the choral hymn of our lives, and we lament that our voices must be silent. We grieve that our part is missing in the music that continually rises to the ear of our Creator. Yet how does a musician read the rest? He counts the break with unwavering precision and plays his next note with confidence, as if no pause were ever there.

God does not write the music of our lives without a plan. Our part is to learn the tune and not be discouraged during the rests. They are not to be slurred over or omitted, nor used to destroy the melody or to change the key. If we will only look up, God Himself will count the time for us. With our eyes on Him, our next note will be full and clear. If we sorrowfully say to ourselves, “ There is no music in a rest,” let us not forget that the rest is part of the making of the music. The process is often slow and painful in this life, yet how patiently God works to teach us! And how long He waits for us to learn the lesson.  -John Ruskin, Streams in the Desert,  January 22

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My face is shining upon you, beaming out Peace that transcends understanding. You are surrounded by a sea of problems, but you are face to Face with Me, your Peace. As long as you focus on Me, you are safe. If you gaze too long at the myriad of problems around you, you will sink under the weight of your burdens. When you start to sink, simply call out, “Help me, Jesus!”  and I will lift you up. The closer you live to Me, the safer you are. Circumstances around you are undulating, and there are treacherous-looking waves in the distance. Fix your eyes on Me, the One who never changes. By the time those waves reach you, they will have shrunk to proportions of My design. I am always beside you, helping you face today’s waves. The future is a phantom, seeking to spook you, Laugh at the future! Stay close to Me! – Jesus Calling, January 15