I awoke this morning.......kissed the man I love and said I missed you, I am so glad to be home, here with you. I snuggled in for a minute more, soaking in the familiar feeling of us.
I awoke and didn't feel weary. I loved waking up to Francesca and her hunger for breakfast and books. We made pancakes together before 7 am and I was happy to do so. We read book after book and it was good.
I awoke with excitement for the adventure that the day held. It was a day of playing at the park with lunch inside the jungle gym - how cool is that to be the only ones at the playground and dine up top the slide. We pretended to be pirates and chased one another all around. We played hide and seek, Nico winning every time. We ran until Francesca pleaded that she was tired and so it was back home we went.
I came home and was greeted with laundry baskets filled to the brim and a too long front yard. I was greeted with floors that needed to be swept and piles that needed to be undone. I didn't feel overwhelmed, I felt ready to tackle the challenge and actually went about the tasks with a certain joy at being productive and useful.
After play by yourself time, Nico and I played Candyland. We played freeze tag and, my oh my, is my boy getting faster. The days of deliberately getting caught are gone and it is time for game on between this boy and his momma. Then I pitched the ball and he hit long and hard into the yard, running the bases at a furious pace. I ran to catch him and succeeded half the time. I figure I must make the most of these moments when he wants to play with me and I still can tag him out - the day will come when other boys will call and I am no longer able to keep up with my fast and furious boy.
Each moment of the day I felt the frustrations slipping away, the weariness not there as it once was.
And I was reminded of God's provision and His wisdom and His goodness when He gave us His law, His commandments.
We are to rest. We are to rest as He once rested on the seventh day of creation.
Why do we ignore that?
Why do we deem it unimportant?
And in the midst of murdering, lying, stealing and not loving God it does almost seem silly that we are to rest - is that for real?
Yes. Yes, it is.
We try to do this on Sundays. We have gotten MUCH, MUCH better. I look forward to that day, that day of resting but, well, there are three kids and a house and a village so it's not always the MOST restful. That's life, that's where we are at right now. We don't do chores, we read, we watch a movie in the afternoon and it's good.
But this past weekend I got true rest. Rest that comes from getting away, getting away from responsibilities and little ones and chores. Rest that comes from sleeping in and leisurely breakfasts. Rest that comes from not cooking and eating juicy burgers and spicy fries. Rest that comes from driving and talking and sipping diet vanilla cokes from Sonic. Rest that comes from being with a friend who is easy and kind and knows what is needed in a vacation.
Isn't is amazing that God knows this? That God knows that 6:30 wake up calls from little feet running down the hall are joyous when rest comes before. That He knows that laundry and dishes and cooking can become enjoyable tasks rather than daily drudgery when your body has known stillness and peace. That He knows delight comes once again when the spirit has been renewed and the mind has been cleared..........amazing.
My task for this week is to find rest in the every day, to find renewal at home, where I am gifted with so much. How to find that stillness, that peace, that joy that I rediscovered this weekend right where I am.
I hope I can get better at this.
For my family's sake, I hope that joy comes with each dawning of the day. That there will be more nights on the swing in the backyard with my love, talking over our day. That there will be more reading books at night with my little loves instead of running to my chores at the end of the day. That there will be more awareness of the gifts in my life.
All this joy........
All this peace.........
All this ease..........
Because of rest.
Amazing.
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