Rest

The tiny blue-striped pillow fit in the palm of my hand. My toddler daughter was proud of her Sunday school craft.

A note stuck out from the side of the pillow, simply stating "On the 7th day God RESTED!"

This pillow has been sitting on my countertop for a week now. And it always catches my heart. "Rest", I think, "when?" Like every other mom, I have been nursing runny noses, fevered bodies and upset stomachs that accompany our Canadian deep-freeze. To-do lists have reproduced at an alarming rate. Gift shopping, grocery shopping. And I struggle to add one more event to our family's weighted Christmas calendar. 'Tis the season....

But the season for what? More than ever, I feel my soul calling me to SLOW DOWN. The Spirit within me whispering, "if you hurry, you'll miss it." But everything else is screaming for me to hurry up, bake more, decorate more, buy more, do more! I don't want to miss anything.

But isn't that it? By not wanting to miss anything, I am missing everything. Everything He does, everyday, to prove His love for me. Every day He creates a moment for me to rest and honour Him, but instead, I greedily use those moments towards my own desires.

Oh sure, of course I wrap my selfish desires in a shiny package, with the best of intentions of sharing my accomplishments with others. I used that time to buy the perfect gift for my son. I used that time to clean the house. I used that time to plan next weekend's Christmas party.

But time, like all used things, is quickly depleted.

This weekend I had the best of intentions. On Saturday, we were going to make the two hour drive to visit the Great Grandparents. But the winter blizzard quickly masked the highways with a sheen of ice and chilling winds scorned all who dared to make the trek. We relented and stayed home. But rest? No, now that there was an opening in the calendar, I filled it with more to-dos!

Then Sunday rolled around. I awoke with a raw throat and pounding ears. Today, my body begged me for rest. But I had plans for holiday hosting, Santa visiting and merry tours of the lavished Christmas trees. And then I saw the little pillow "on the 7th day, God RESTED!"

Remarkably, the immovable plans of this morning were redrawn without me. Husband took our two excited children to enjoy the festivities with their grandparents and cousin. And I did the unimaginable...

I rested. I read - about Him. I lit candles and watched them dance with their shadows. I prayed with gratitude and asked Him to fill me with His restfulness. To keep whispering reminders to me, and to give me the wisdom to listen.

'Tis the season....