MANIC MONDAY - "Feel the Creep" - 23 JANUARY 2012
If you are like me today, then you feel it. It’s like kudzu on the side of Signal Mountain creeping and strangling life from the tree line. It is disturbing how quickly and potently stress and anxiety creeps back into my life after an intentional weekend set apart for rest and relaxation.
Here’s the scene. I just spent an amazing weekend with my wife in Asheville, North Carolina visiting old haunts, drinking locally grown and brewed coffee, eating delicious food, sleeping in late, listening to our long time favorite David Wilcox live in concert and wandering through funky stores downtown. It was life giving to have that much time alone with my wife without any agenda or plan - to just wander through our weekend at a pace that matched our desire. We took the long way there and the long way home. I am so grateful for this historical rhythm of retreat in my marriage.
It occurred to me this morning that I am just as quick to sabotage “rest” as I am to set aside time for it. Several times throughout the weekend I found myself sabotaging our retreat - highlighted in the distraction of losing my phone twice which occupied the forefront of my mind on the drive home. I regret the distraction but honestly...I am grateful for one more day of remaining untethered from my phone.
Monday mornings are not my nemisis - I am. So, this morning I am taking a few extra minutes to settle into the day a little slower - to remind my heart of the sweet sabbathweekend I was just afforded. To bring some of those moments of restoration into my day so that I might be more present with the Lord, more aware of those who God would allow me to spend the day with. I am actively hoping to bring Sabbath forward into my day.
How about you? What would today be like if you took a few minutes to quietly embrace Psalm 46:10 - to be still and remember that you are not God? To release yourself of the obligation of striving to be perfect? To inwardly surrender to the reality that Jesus loves you deeply and truly enjoys your company? If you are like me you might embrace the fact that God loves you...but does he like you? That is something that I struggle with.
May we come to know and embrace what Brennan Manning refers to as “the relentless tenderness of Jesus” in our day today or what Graham Cooke refers to as “the kindness of God moving in your direction” seeing His loving hand of kindness moving in our direction.
-Hayne Steen
Write a comment
- Required fields are marked with *.
