Oh hey Tuesday— you cute, too!
Usually, I try to get this sent on Mondays each week but well, summer days have melted into each other and I took a long nap yesterday afternoon instead of writing these words. And I’m not sorry! ;) It was glorious.
And yet, I had to wrestle the guilt out of my head, convincing myself to listen to the needs of my body, recounting all that has been done this month, rationalizing rest to the recesses of my brain. It feels silly even admitting that to you now. But it’s true… and I want to show up authentically here.
Rest is difficult for me.
It’s layered, you see.
Part of the reason is because I’m busy. I fill my schedule to the brim; always have. (Working on improvement in this area…) Busy is a good distraction for me; it helps me be productive and accomplish things in smaller windows of time. I’m a much better writer with a timer set for 28 minutes because I have to be in a meeting in 30 as opposed to having the whole day to get something done. Being busy makes resting difficult because oftentimes, there’s just not enough room for both.
Another part of the reason is that I have an inherent sloth within me. I can succumb to laziness/lack of desire/decreased motivation very quickly. Reeeeaaaaallllyyyy hate admitting this one. Ugh. I can avoid hard things like it’s my job. It’s part of my personality type — I get stuck and then just stop. (Working on this too…) Because of this, it becomes hard to determine within myself if I’m in true need of rest or if I’m avoiding something I don’t want to do. The behavior is the same [insert book + bed here] but it takes a lot of untangling to figure out if the motivation behind the behavior is healthy or unhealthy.
And the biggest, ickiest layer is that I continually struggle with the pride of thinking I can do it all. That God’s sufficiency is not enough to keep the world spinning without me. I have bought into the lie Satan has spun for me that it’s all up to me.
But rest is part of God’s original plan. He showed us that on Day 7 of creation. It was given to us as a gift and modeled for us in an omnipotent God choosing to stop and rest. And above all else in my life, my greatest desire is to walk in His ways all my days. If rest is part of His grand design, who am I to disregard it? It is important. It belongs to Him. In the light of the truth — guilt and shame have no power, the to do list does not get seniority, the demands of this life will have to wait.
God modeled it - Genesis 2
Israelites followed it - Leviticus 23, 25
Solomon wisely spoke about it - Ecclesiastes 3
Jesus confirmed it - Matthew 14
The lesson I’m learning is summed up best in this quote, “As God incarnate, He decides the true meaning of the Sabbath because He created it, and He is our Sabbath rest in the flesh. There is no other Sabbath rest besides Jesus. He alone satisfies the requirements of the Law, and He alone provides the sacrifice that atones for sin. He is God’s plan for us to cease from the labor of our own works. We dare not reject this one-and-only Way of salvation (John 14:6).” 1 In light of a much needed physical nap there is so much more my soul needs. Not a pampering spa day away but a deep security that, in Jesus, all my needs are met. He has done everything not so I can do nothing but so I need nothing apart from him.
Rest well this week, friends.
What I’m Reading:
(*each book linked to purchase @Books-A-Million, an affiliate partner!)
Nonfiction Morning Read:
Gentle & Lowly by Dane Ortlund - This is one to take s-l-o-w-l-y; perfect for a summer morning. Beautifully written and an incredible read so far. Almost done with this one! — YOU WANT THIS ON YOUR BOOKSHELF!
Next on the list:
The Lazy Genius Way by Kendra Adachi - equips you to be a genius about what matters and lazy about what doesn't. #hereforit
Afternoon Poolside Read:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - chronologically complicated and interweaving plotlines, wide-eyed descriptions of ever-changing labyrinths, a turn-of-the-20th-century European setting and a forbidden love practically swelling with Hollywood appeal. But perhaps most importantly, it creates a fantastical world so fully imagined and captivating, one cannot help but be swept along for the ride.
**UPDATE: It captured my attention! It’s not one I will read again but each page swells with imagination and pushes me to create!
Next up:
Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi- "Kabul, 1978: The daughter of a prominent family, Sitara Zalmani lives a privileged life in Afghanistan's thriving cosmopolitan capital. The 1970s are a time of remarkable promise under the leadership of people like Sardar Daoud, Afghanistan's progressive president, and Sitara's beloved father, his right-hand man. But the ten-year-old Sitara's world is shattered when communists stage a coup, assassinating the president and Sitara's entire family. Only she survives. Smuggled out of the palace by a guard named Shair, Sitara finds her way to the home of a female American diplomat, who adopts her and raises her in America. In her new country, Sitara takes on a new name - Aryana Shepherd - and throws herself into her studies, eventually becoming a renowned surgeon. A survivor, Aryana has refused to look back, choosing instead to bury the trauma and devastating loss she endured... New York, 2018: Forty years after that fatal night in Kabul, Aryana's world is rocked again when an elderly patient appears in her examination room - a man she never expected to see again. It is Shair, the soldier who saved her, yet may have murdered her entire family. Seeing him awakens Aryana's fury and desire for answers - and, perhaps, revenge. Realizing that she cannot go on without finding the truth, Aryana embarks on a quest that takes her back to Kabul--a battleground between the corrupt government and the fundamentalist Taliban - and through shadowy memories of the world she loved and lost.
~ Off until August! ~
{Please continue to pray for us in the interim!}Next Up: August 20-21 - Mitchell Berean Church, Mitchell, NE - CLICK HERE
August 27-28 - North Pointe, Lincoln, NE - CLICK HERE
September 17-18 - Colby Berean, Colby, KS
October 8-9- Marysville Berean, Marysville, KS
October 22-23- Berean Bible Church, Grand Island, NE
November 5-6 - Crete Berean, Crete, NE
December 3-4 - Sonrise Church, Torrington, WY
January 14-15, 2022 - Columbia, Kentucky
March 4-5, 2022 - Imperial Berean, Imperial, NE
April 1-2, 2022- Sandhills Community Church, Mullen, NE
April 29-30, 2022 - Grenada, California
For 2022 booking information, please email dianemathis85@gmail.com!
Podcast Parables | Season 4 | Gen1 | Episode 10 | Priscilla
Priscilla, wife of Aquila-- the couple, on which the early church relied on and relished with. They had hearts of hospitality and lived lives in mentorship to others, providing for and protecting the early church in both Corinth and Ephesus with their faithfulness and love. This is Priscilla’s story… Enjoy.
https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-Sabbath.html