Kristen Grossman Prose

I wish I were a morning person. I love the idea of getting up at 6 a.m. while the house sleeps. Early mornings allow for unhurried, uninterrupted alone time with Jesus, my Bible, and my journal. The days I manage to rise early, I am amazed at all I can accomplish before noon. However, I can usually sustain no more than three days of pre-dawn wakeups before I find myself falling asleep in my chair, long before it is time to head to bed. Maybe what I truly wish is that I required less sleep.

I recently finished the book, Rhythms of Renewal: Trading Stress and Anxiety for a Life of Peace and Purpose, by Rebekah Lyons. This book was timely as I seek to set up new rhythms to meet the challenges of deepening my walk with the Lord, running a household of four constantly-present people, homeschooling a high schooler, and seeking God’s purpose for my life beyond this season.

Rebekah Lyons puts forth four rhythms crucial to a healthy, well-balanced life: rest, restore, connect, and create. I appreciate that the first rhythm is rest. In the busy-ness of life, rest is often viewed as a luxury rather than a basic human need. In today’s world, we tend to prize working and striving. Rest can sometimes be seen as laziness, rather than as a necessary building block for healthy living. However, Rebekah Lyons points out just the opposite.

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I don’t know why some people function well with six hours of sleep while my body seems to require eight to ten hours. But I know that God modeled rest for us since the first week He breathed life into creation. (Genesis 2:2-3).

The idea of rest was further brought to mind this weekend when Pastor Jeff Henderson shared a message with our church. The topic was serving, yet Pastor Henderson pointed out three necessary activities modeled by Mary, Martha, and Lazarus at a banquet honoring Jesus. Martha served at this banquet, from a heart filled with love and hope. Mary poured out her best in honor of Jesus as she wiped His feet with expensive perfume. These actions represent beautiful deeds necessary for showing love, fulfilling purpose, and honoring God. Yet Lazarus was also engaging in meaningful, necessary activity as he simply reclined at the dinner table, soaking up the presence of Jesus. Yes, service and giving our very best are crucial to our Christian walk, But so is reclining, resting, and letting the presence of Jesus wash over our souls.

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Some mornings, when my alarm goes off at 6 a.m., and I cannot force myself out of my cozy nest, I remain in my bed. However, I often find that I can spend an hour in prayer right there under my covers. Sometimes, those quiet, dozy, early morning hours are the very best times of my day as, free from all other distractions, I recline in the presence of my Savior and open my heart to speak with Him.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us the gift of rest. Please help us to recline in Your presence and gain the refreshment necessary for carrying out our purpose. Amen.