Let's go rest awhile...

Then Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. (Mark 6:31 NLT)

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost sheep of Israel, to raise the dead, to feed the hungry, to heal the sick, to give to the poor, to give life to the lifeless and to sacrifice himself for the salvation of all mankind, even submitting himself to death on a cross – I don’t know how he did it, but I am sure thankful he did. He worked hard, very hard, each day of his life; however, he never neglected appropriate spiritual and physical rest. Why is it so difficult for us to practice this important spiritual discipline? I'm asking myself this question, because I struggle here.


In Mexican culture, taking time to rest is often looked down and frowned upon: working from sun-up to sun-down six days per week is somewhat the norm. You will often hear Mexican men somewhat boasting about “how many hours they put in and how little sleep they get per night”. Most believe 4-5 hours of sleep should be more than sufficient for any human being. People have to work hard to make it in life here; to put food on the table. Taking time out of the day to rest is a foreign concept, but so very important. Perhaps our culture is somewhat the same…


With each passing day, Tiffany and I find our love for these children grows more profoundly. Even when we do stop to rest, our thoughts are often filled with not only the lives and wellbeing of our own children, but also the children God has placed in our home and under our care. The days grow busy and at times very long, and sometimes moments of rest pass us by. As I read this section of God’s Word this morning, spiritual strength came over me.


What does it truly mean to rest? I am convinced that sometimes the best thing one could do for his or her spiritual life is to take a restful nap, and yet other times prayer, the study of his word and even fasting is most appropriate. But there is another rest that can only come from God...


As house parents, we too find it difficult to simply stop and eat at times, let alone rest. God opened my eyes to his rest this morning. The beautiful thing about rest is it does not always mean stopping and taking a nap, although that is important from time to time; it means placing your whole self into the arms of Christ – deep spiritual rest, which brings renewal to the soul. These past couple of days have been somewhat difficult for me in particular, but God has renewed my strength by refreshing my spirit.


Some of our boys have no memory of their families, while others remember quite well. Some of our boys have siblings who live here, while others are here alone. Some of our boys have accepted our love for them, while others still resist and remain closed off and somewhat cold toward us. As I ponder God’s rest, I find myself at home in his love and care. I find myself being carried by his strong and mighty hands, which lift us high above the many struggles in life.


As I think about these boys, I think about how much they have been through and how much they have suffered. And while God has lifted them up out of the darkness and provided them hope through Christ and a home at Niños, they long for and desire true rest from the torments of their past; this sort of rest can only come from God and through much prayer.


I invite you to stop, breathe and seek deep spiritual rest for your soul today – God has arms wide open and strong hands to carry you along the way; all you need do is ask.


Blessings, in the ministry of the cross,

Matt & Tiffany