MY life
“ Are you tired ? Worn out ? Burned out on religion ? Come to me . Get away with me and you ’ ll recover your life . I ’ ll show you how to take a real rest . Walk with me and work with me — watch how I do it . Learn the unforced rhythms of grace . I won ’ t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you . Keep company with me and you ’ ll learn to live freely and lightly .” Matthew 11:28-30 ( THE MSG )
This summer as I prepared for the release of my very first book , Raised to Stay , my family and I made a big move from Colorado to Kentucky . I had just resigned from a demanding position at a large church and my body ached from months of packing and travel . Our new home wasn ’ t quite finished , so we spent six weeks sleeping on relatives ’ couches and eating way too much fast food . To add to the chaos , I was doing three to four interviews a day , hosting Instagram live events in basements and coffee shops and could feel my body slowly shutting down . I was tired . Worn out . Burned out on the very thing that just a year ago was a raging wildfire in my soul .
Have you been there ? Perhaps you are there now . Your phone is constantly attached to your hand , social media never sleeps , you wake up exhausted and go to bed exhausted : how is anyone supposed to keep this up for any amount of time ?
We can ’ t and we were never meant to ; yet in our attempt to be superhuman , we forget even the Son of God took naps .
Rest is holy . Sabbath is a command . Jesus took a nap , we can , too .
This season of ministry has taught me a lot about myself and the pride I take in doing the hard work of ministry . I , like the apostles , tend to show up to my time with the Lord with a checklist of everything good I have done for Him . Look , God ! Are you proud of me ? Do you see all the things I am doing in Your Name ?
“ The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught . Then Jesus said , ‘ Let ’ s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile .’ He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn ’ t even have time to eat .” Mark 6:30-31 NLT
His response to each of us is the same gentle course correction much like the one we see in Mark . He sees everything we ’ re doing in His name , every deadline and bottom line , late nights and early mornings . It is easy to get so caught up in numbers and followers we forget to eat with the Bread of Life standing before us with a table set , saying , “ Come and dine .” continued on page 48 >>
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