Rest or Rest for Your Souls

So after a long, amazing week with Garry in Orlando, I was sitting in the car on our way back to Atlanta feeling unsettled.  This was bizarre to me -- how was I feeling off after such a great (and much needed) weekend?  Garry and I spent quality time together.  We laughed a ton, slept in, took naps, and even spent a day riding Dumbo and Peter Pan rides at Disney World! I mean come on, that's the life right there.  On top of the fun stuff, we'd just found out that one of our old residents had died a few weeks ago.  She was found laying on the floor of the Equinox gym she frequented in West Hollywood.  She couldn't have been more than 28 years old.  Talk about something that helped put my eyes back on straight.   Needless to say, I felt particularly appreciative of life during our trip.  Of my marriage. Of my family. Of God.  But I could recognize a sense of emptiness on the drive home.

And then I realized what it was  I had rested my body and had rested my mind, but I hadn't found rest for my soul.  I mean, I guess there was a level I had gotten to-- gratitude and laughter can definitely nurture the soul.  But the fullness of rest for my soul is something I personally can't achieve.  Instead, it comes through my intimate time with the Holy Spirit.  I hadn't spent enough quality time with God and I needed it.  My soul was literally crying out for it.

    Matthew 11: 28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Jesus says that to find rest for our souls we are supposed to come to Him.  This type of rest is not something that can be found by participating in our favorite hobby or even by spending time with our most favorite people, although both of these things are great to do.

This rest comes from God.

His rest is sweet. It relieves us of our burdens.  We learn about His character through the rest he offers.  The bible says that our lives are hidden IN Christ, and the imagery that always comes to my mind is me being completed under, and covered by, the entire frame of God. I don't know why, but its a pretty consistent image of mine.  If you know Jesus as your savior and lord, what visual do you get when you think about being completely submerged in your relationship with Him?  If you don't know Jesus as your savior and lord, what would it look like if you did? How does this verse in Matthew add insight into what could be possible for you through a relationship with Jesus?

So, family, the next time you are taking a personal day, enjoying your Sabbath, or are even on a long awaited vacation, remember that the goal is to not just rest our physical, emotional and mental selves.  To fully rest, we must find rest for our souls in Christ.  We must take the time to nurture our relationship with God, to share with Him what's really going on in our hearts, to listen to His voice and guidance, to sing songs of gratitude and sometimes to sit in complete silence just enjoying our real-time connection with Him.

By the way, after I realized that I needed rest for my soul, I spent my time with God on the rest of the drive up to Atlanta and this article is one of the results of that time.  He always works in the sneakiest of ways. :)