As March is now upon us, many of us have one wish on our minds… Spring! Ah yes, that beautiful time of the year when snow melts, flowers bloom, and warm fresh air replaces bitter cold breezes. It seems as though the world around us comes back to life. And amidst all of this rejuvenation, I often find it difficult to work. Perhaps that is why one other glorious event also occurs during this season… Spring Break! I remember my Spring Breaks in college, what an amazing time! They weren’t spent partying it up on some beach in Mexico, or tearing up some ski slope in Colorado. I spent my Spring Breaks in Clincho, Virginia, home of (at the time) the poorest county in the United States. It was a servant event, a mission trip with a bunch of my college friends. It was a week of sweat, hard manual labor, and little sleep… hardly what one would consider to be a “break.” But, nonetheless, I loved it. I remember one particular Spring Break during my senior year. We were working in the McClure River Valley, nestled within the Appalachian Mountains. I loved those mountains. There was something very peaceful and serene about them and they somehow always managed to calm my soul. The week gave me the opportunity to 46:10, as I call it... “Be still and know that He is God.” That time there, away from my hectic life back at school, away from technology and all the disconnect that comes with it, reminded me that nature is never in a hurry, trees have nothing to do but shed their leaves and grow, mountains are in no rush whatsoever for the sun to set behind their peaks. They know how to be still. And when you think about it, Jesus was never in a hurry either. Look in the Bible, it’s there. Jesus, the Son of God, has only three years to communicate a message that will redeem all of humanity, a message that will change the world. Yet when the disciples want Him to hurry, He goes slower. He interrupts His own sermon to play with children. He sits with His friends and eats and talks. He listens to people. And sometimes, he even wanders off alone, to some mountainside to be still. My advice, this month… slow down. Pay attention. Be still. If the Spirit sends you out alone into the metaphorical mountains, then go, but don't try and make it happen. And if you do go, don't be afraid, God is with you. Learn to give up your answers to everything, your control. You don’t need those weapons anyway, they don't work... at least not forever. Ultimately, all that will work is trusting in God, someone larger than you and I will ever be. Enjoy your “break” and know that true peace and rest come only from our Heavenly Father. Happy March!
0 comments:
Post a Comment