Rest Stop

When I first thought about preparing for a long distance run, I was convinced that it was vital that I run every day. The more kilometres I packed into a week, the better runner I would be. At least that was what I thought. To my surprise then, I was told by runners much wiser than me, that days of rest were just as important as days of running. Really! How can that be? Well, it seems that merely racking up more kilometres without rest could certainly lead to more injuries along the way. Therefore intentional rest would provide a nurturing way for one’s body to be replenished.

Jesus and his disciples had been on the go, walking from village to village as Jesus was healing, teaching and preaching. They must have been exhausted. So Jesus led them to a quiet place to rest. Having rested, they were now ready for the next step in their journey.

We can push ourselves, sometimes beyond our limits, to get more done, or we can take a break. Then we can enter into a time of rest, prayer and meditation. And this could be just as important as all the things we need to do today.

Grace-filled God, please open your arms that I might rest in you today. Amen. — LW