Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 (KJV)
My plans to make resting the emphasis for this weekend started to derail. I was really looking forward to my company coming for dinner tonight. I haven’t seen Vicki in a while and never met her husband. I planned a light meal that would not be a lot of work so I could enjoy their visit, but still wanted to have the house clean before they arrived. That changed when youngest son’s girlfriend and her two younger brothers came with us to church this morning and then, to a church picnic. Her dad is in the hospital, and she is in charge of her brothers while her mom stays with her dad. They enjoyed the picnic particularly the playground and then, came back home with us. They went swimming in the bay for a while, but one of the boys was convinced that he spotted a shark so back they came. I was trying to get the house ready for my evening company. With all the chaos of the little boys coming in from their swim, the whole crew marched right over my newly mopped floors. They spilled red Kool-Aid on the kitchen counters and wanted sandwiches because one of the little boys confessed he was too busy playing at the picnic and never ate. I had forgotten how loud little boys can be. They played games, marveled over our stairs and the “secret” doors into our attic. They were having such a good time, but I could feel myself starting to fret over the state of my house. Finally, I decided my friends coming to dinner tonight were good enough friends, I wouldn’t worry about cleanliness. So, I lay down on the couch and tried to let the tension go. It didn’t work. By the time the kids all left, I felt like one of those cartoon characters whose eyes are spinning in opposite directions. I was thankful that youngest son, his girlfriend and her brothers drove out of the driveway at the same time my adult friends pulled in. At least we wouldn’t have to shout over the children while we talked. We visited for a while, worked together to prepare dinner and had a great time. After dinner, Vicki and I made a felt pumpkin while the menfolk talked cars, motorcycles, the state of the economy and whatever else came up. Unlike my fitful attempt at rest this afternoon, even in my busyness, just being with my friends brought calm and peace. In the verse above, the words rest and wait, don’t mean what we might think they mean. They are not passive words meaning to sit down and do nothing. Instead, they are verbs, telling us to what to do, to trust God and to stay active while we wait on God’s timing. Though I was bustling about the whole evening, I felt quieted after being with my friends. Rest is not about our circumstances, it is about the calm that comes from being in His presence.
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