Coming Apart

"And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat." Mark 6:31

Good morning, dear friends,

Have you ever found yourself to be so stressed and worn out, that you didn't realize that you were, until you stopped?

This week had been one of those weeks.  There seemed to be always something or someone clamoring for my attention.  Even activities that I usually enjoy became just another "to do" on an ever increasing list.  Coupled with that were some extra burdens that came out of nowhere and were more than unexpected.

I have a hard time shutting off my brain and learning to relax.  It doesn't come easily for me.  The tasks around me seem endless, and it seems like the more I get done, the more that is always waiting in the background.  So, I keep tackling and working, until I physically just can't keep up.

It was just one of those weeks, where, looking back, there wasn't anything extreme that happened, but it left me feeling tired and drained, like a wrung-out dishrag.

It was time for some refreshing, and it came in the form of beautiful spring weather, a relaxing backyard cookout with friends, and stopping not just to smell the roses but remember the Creator who made them.

As I look back, I realized that I was trying to run on low batteries all week, with no real reason other than I hadn't taken the time to recharge, until it was almost too late.

It wasn't until my husband really began working with me after our marriage, that I began to realize the beauty of rest.  My husband is a hard worker, but he understands the wisdom of building his schedule around proper rest times as well.  There have been many times in our marriage where he has had to "stage an intervention" and get me to slow things down.  Looking back, I understand that my husband's work/rest balance has been such a blessing to me and my family as well.

I rejoice that there are passages in the Bible like the one at the top of this blog, that shows that even Jesus, as pressed and urgent as He knew His business was, took time to rest.  Jesus was compassionate toward His disciples, ensuring that their physical needs and limitations were given time to be replenished.

Consider the context of this busy time in Jesus's life and ministry.  The disciples had just returned from being sent out by Jesus to minister to the needs of others, one of the most draining aspects of their ministry.  During this time, Jesus learned of the beheading of John the Baptist. The disciples returned and gave their report, and Jesus's reaction was to encourage them to take a break:  "And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat." Mark 6:31

How wise and compassionate were these words from Jesus!  How welcome they must have been to the disciples, who were excited over the ministry God had given them, at the same time they were physically depleted.  Being invited by Jesus to rest must have been like a greatly anticipated vacation or three-day weekend:  a time to catch their breath, recharge, and then continue in the work.

Their rest time was of short duration, however, because as they departed to a "desert place," the crowd got wind of this, and followed them.  The short time in the ship, and the shorter time before the others caught up to them,  was all the rest that they got.   What followed was more teaching, the feeding of 5000 people, and THEN some time to rest, before getting back in the boat, and rowing in a storm, and...well, you get the idea.

While I was reading this account, the Lord impressed several truths from this passage on my heart:

1.  It's okay to rest sometimes.  There are times to work, and time to take a break.  Sometimes, because of the many admonishments against laziness (and a healthy dose of pride), I think that as long as I am busy, I am doing what God wants me to do.  That is certainly true for the responsibilities that God has given me, but it's also okay to take breaks.  Jesus invited his disciples to rest, to even "come apart" (or move away from) their responsibilities, even for a time.  I will have more energy, and more brainpower, if I will just learn to let go a little, put things aside, and do something else less tiring until I am more refreshed.

2.  Building a life of constant busyness will take its toll, and hinder my long-term service for the Lord.  There are many studies linked to the physical side of burnout for it to be just a byword:  migraines, heart attacks, panic attacks, and high blood pressure, to name a few.  If I understand correctly, God expected His people to rest at least one-seventh of the time (Exodus 20:8-11).  Allowing myself to rest is as much honoring His design for His creation as my work and service for Him.  Jesus knew what was waiting for them when the boat landed, but He still encouraged His disciples to rest up, before tackling the next ministry opportunities.

3.  There are sometimes very small windows of opportunity to rest, and if I don't take them, I may not be ready for the next challenge that God puts in front of me.  Working myself 24/7 may seem like efficiency, but in reality, if my every moment of my day is scheduled, then when an unexpected opportunity presents itself for a new relationship, or new ministry opportunity, or a long-awaited answer to prayer, I may not have the time or energy to give it.  If the disciples had known what their next 24 hours were going to be like with Jesus, I think they would have appreciated even more His encouragement to "come apart..."  They needed that calm before the storm in their lives, and I need it as well.

I am glad for the opportunities to rest that present themselves everyday.  I am ready to type the last words into this post, and head to bed.  Tomorrow will be a busy day (aren't they all?) and I want to be refreshed for whatever challenges the Lord puts in front of me the next day.

May God grant you each a sweet rest today as well.



(A book that I have read recently that has been such an encouragement to me in this area of rest is called Stewarding Life: One Lifetime, Limited Resources, Eternal Priorities, written by Paul Chappell.  If you would like to get more information about this book, you can find out about it by clicking here.)