As I write to you today, I am relaxing in Gulf Shores, AL, listening to the rhythmic and gentle sound of the waves crashing on the shore.  Sitting here enjoying these early summer days reminds me of how sweet summertime in Pennsylvania felt as a little girl. I can taste the endless supply of freeze pops, warm Shoofly pie, and ripe rhubarb. I can smell the freshly cut grass after my dad mowed the lawn.  I can hear my brothers saying, “Run, the train is coming” after we lined the train tracks with pennies; mostly, though, I remember the way time passed so slowly I was certain summer would never end.

Looking back on those years, I realize the reason time seemed to stand still was because my schedule was wide-open. Without school, piano lessons, sports, or set activities on the calendar supercharging the day, time wandered rather than raced. Of course, there were chores to be done, sure, but there was no hurry.  We checked the chores off our list, knowing we would have the rest of our summer day for enjoyment. For exploring. Yes, even for getting in trouble when we stayed out past the street lights coming on.

Now, as a forty-seven-year-old wife and mother of four, I am learning that the summers of my childhood simply don’t happen by accident anymore. Today, I realize that just because a month starts with the letter “J” doesn’t mean my responsibilities will disappear. Whether you are a realtor with homes to show, a doctor with patients to see, a mechanic with cars to repair, a full-time parent or grandparent with meals to make and children to chase—there is always work to be done. Maybe you work full time and rather than summer being a long pause in the year, it becomes a circus act pushing you to juggle your job, childcare, summer camps, and meals---I know!  Maybe your children being home all day brings unique challenges, and you feel overwhelmed. Or maybe your summers are filled with travel and experiences with little room for a true inhale and exhale.

Life often feels like a marathon to endure. If you are like me, you stay up late with planners and Post-its to squeeze everything in. We try to spin all the plates, hoping one will not fall, but one always seems to, doesn’t it?  So, what does it look like to relax in a way that leaves us refreshed, provides a healthy balance of family and work, yet, most importantly, honors the Lord?

In the book of Genesis, we see how God created rhythms for us to follow. On day four of Creation, God made the stars and two great lights: the larger light to rule over the day and the smaller light to rule over the night.  God put them in the dome of the sky to shine on the earth, and on day seven, God rested from all the work that he had done. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all the work of creation. What a necessary reminder that work and rest are a part of God’s original design—existing in harmony before the fall.

The question remains, how do we settle down and linger a while because staying busy is easy. Staying well-rested—now, that’s the challenge. We live in a society that cultivates a mindset that one can only rest once the work is complete. You and I know the problem with that approach…the work is never-ending. Amen?! There is always more work to be done as we glance at our to-do list. Listen, if we only rest when our work is complete, we will never truly rest. And Jesus commands us to rest, to still our anxious selves and surrender our striving. Slowing down is not simply a suggestion—it is a requirement. Our compassionate Father in heaven hard-wired us with the need for a little R & R amid the daily grind.

Friends, as we look to the months before us, longing for those good ol’ lazy days of summer, we can turn to God’s Word for guidance as we seek refreshment. And hear me when I say, we must be intentional to place times of rest on our calendars! If you have to, add it to your Google calendar and set reminders. It is essential that we place proper boundaries to honor God and enjoy His gift of relaxation. A gift that allows us to glorify Him through our work as we are renewed, yet a gift that also reminds us of our limitations. His burden is “light,” my dear friends, and He provides grace and freedom from endless striving. Working is great and something the Lord does indeed call us to do. But if we are not careful, the enemy will use time against us and cause us to believe we are too busy to rest.

I realize relaxation does not come naturally (I can see you nodding your head right now), but as we are careful to tend to our daily schedule and permit ourselves to say no as necessary (even to good things), we will remember that our God is infinite and we are finite. When we follow healthy habits of slowing down, calming our minds, and getting a good night's sleep (or a nap, I am a huge fan of napping), we will remember that God is omnipotent and we are weak human beings in need of soul care.

What does rest look like for you? For me, it is taking time each day to talk to God. I find a quiet spot to share my thoughts and listen. I read the Psalms, sing songs, and thank God for His faithfulness and provision. Oftentimes, I find myself asking God to show me the areas where I need to recommit to Him. I pray for God to open my eyes to the things I cannot see because I desire to see how He sees, not how I perceive a situation or circumstance. I want Him to control my actions and how I show up. Because the truth is, if I am beholding God’s love, being held by my Father in heaven, then my view of work and relaxation changes. How I show up as wife, mother, and one of your pastors changes as well.

Yesterday, I was out for an early morning jog and came across a sign in front of a beach house that read, “Linger Longer.” As I continued on my run, I kept wondering what it might be like if we all lingered longer with Jesus! I stopped to take a picture on my way back in hopes that it will be a gentle nudge for you this summer.

I will see you next week. For now, I plan to linger longer and rest in the Lord.

~ Pastor Jen

[1] Genesis 1:16-17
[2] Genesis 2:2-3
[3] Matthew 11:28-29
[4] Exodus 20:8; Psalm 46:10; Hebrews 4:9