Rest On Every Side
Written May 2022
First off, thanks for being here. You might be here because you are tired, curious, hungry for something more, or just wondering what I am putting out into the interweb. Regardless, welcome. I don’t consider myself a writer or someone who has something uniquely amazing to say to the world. For example, I really like run-on sentences… we’ll just call that “style” for creativity’s sake here.
But I have spent a few decades writing in journals and have found that I unlock mysteries through writing… what I really think and feel about things and even some revelations on what is good and right and beautiful about God and the world. Last month, I was reading Pride and Prejudice and came across the line from Caroline Bingley: “It is a rule with me, that a person who can write a long letter with ease cannot write ill.” Those words practically jumped off the page as I was reminded how much practice I’ve had writing letters and cards that have constant squiggly arrows pointing you to the back or to the next page. (You are laughing right now if you’ve received one of those). Maybe I cannot write ill!
This blog represents those personal letters and cards. I’m not writing to the masses, I’m creating a space to write some of my thoughts and revelations to those the Lord has already put on my path over the years. . . where trust has been planted and nurtured, but face-to-face time seems to become more sparse the older I get. This doesn’t replace that face-to-face time, but I hope will serve to be a bridge for you to remain connected and encouraged during the seasons of the year when we can’t have as much of that. Also, I do have specific things to say… a message to a tired, distracted, and busy generation who might need permission to live a lot differently than the world around you. As I entered into a season of slowing down, hiddenness, and pulling out of the social media craze in the last year and a half, I began to have some life-altering revelations about how I wanted to live. . . not only making space for physical rest so that “my soul can catch up with my body,” (as John Mark Comer talks about in his book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry) but learning how to live from a state of internal rest, regardless of my circumstances or surroundings.
All throughout the Bible, God shows His people that it’s not by their power, might, or intelligence that they were successful, but only by trusting in Him alone to lead them, guide them, and provide everything they needed. Even when it seemed impossible…. especially, when it seemed impossible. He not only offered them physical rest from war with their surrounding territories, but a place of belonging, sonship, and peace when they allowed Him to be the only King of their lives. (We also get to see what happens when they did not want God to be their only King… all the devastating consequences along with theme of God’s outstretched hand… offering a way back to Him amidst the chaos).
The central story of the Bible is that we have a good God who created the heavens and the earth and everything in it who wants to be with us… to enjoy relationship with us. We constantly went astray, worshipping other things or wanting to sit on the throne ourselves, not trusting that God alone was enough. But by His mercy, He did not (and does not) allow us to get very far with our own plans. We will not be successful for very long. Our idols will not ultimately satisfy our deepest longing for security. It’s His heart to bring us back to Him and show us the way of resting, abiding, being found by Him.
It’s my hope and prayer that this will be a place the turns your face back to the One who holds you in the palm of His hand and has good and beautiful things in store for your life. That you can, indeed, have rest on every side because He has conquered your enemies and paved a way for you. You have everything you need to walk in it.
Thus says the Lord,
“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
And you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
- Jeremiah 6:16
You can indeed choose your path. You have agency. Sometimes God lights the way clearly, sometimes He blows up the wrong ones. Let’s not get too focused on the path though. Let’s focus on His face, His nature, His Lordship over all… then we will look back and see that all along, the path was Him. . . enjoying relationship with Him and learning to trust.
He has given us “rest on every side” because He loves us. He adores us. He made us to know Him and to be known by Him. That is the rest we all long for.
Just like Saint Augustine wrote in his Confessions,
“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”