“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matt. 11:28-30, MSG)
It came time to wrap up our ten-month sabbatical in the U.S. The missionary care team at our church thought a guided retreat would be good for us, as it would equip us with the necessary tools to handle the transition from our current situation to the next stage. With that purpose in mind, off we went to Potter’s Inn in Colorado, where Steve and Gwen would be our spiritual directors for the week. We had already met them at one of the conferences we had been part of in the fall, and so we were really looking forward to that time under their guidance. We drove for two days from Milwaukee, going through Iowa and Nebraska, until we reached Colorado Springs. As we arrived, the beauty of Creation in the middle of the Rocky Mountains left us speechless.
Our refuge was just perfect: a cabin built in 1920 and preserved as faithfully as possible to the original construction. Upon entering, we found a wooden bowl full of warm, freshly-baked homemade scones along with a welcome note.
The cabin was full of little messages, words made with wooden letters reminding us why we had driven so many hours to get there: RELAX, INDULGE, REST...
I have to admit that my first reaction was one of guilt, a feeling as if I were doing something wrong. I thought it had been a mistake and that I didn’t have permission to enjoy the time of rest and contemplation. And, if possible, I wanted to keep people from knowing that I was there, since during that time of my life I had fallen into the trap of taking as my own the norms that our society recognizes as good or valid. A culture that neither acknowledges nor values rest or the need of it.
Several authors have brought this issue to light, and that makes me hopeful for a change. Brené Brown, for example, in her book, Daring Greatly recognizes that in the values held in our society, “exhaustion as a status symbol and productivity as self-worth.” Steve Smith in his book, Soul Custody, affirms that busyness is the most celebrated sin, especially in Christian circles. R. Bell, in his video, Shells, goes one-step further in his analysis declaring that, “Being busy is a drug that a lot of people are addicted to.” I admit that when I arrived at the cabin my biggest need was to disentangle myself from that addiction. “You are too young to be like this,” was Steve and Gwen’s diagnosis. I needed a paradigm shift, accepting Jesus’ countercultural invitation to live an abundant life, a life that He not only promised to us, but also demonstrated through His own example.
Steve and Gwen gave me the gift of rest: the permission to slow down and the opportunity to learn how to live with a more moderate rhythm according to how I was originally designed. Full of grace, they invited me “to go across to the other side” (Mark 4:35). They helped me realize that it’s not possible to lead a meaningful life when we are perpetually on autopilot, and that we will finally come to an abrupt stop if we continue going at full speed.
Without a doubt, it was the best way to end the ten-month period in which God had been working so deeply in us to help us reset our lives in all possible areas. That included gaining the ability to savor freshly-baked scones in a totally new way: as if we were tasting them for the very first time, and at the same time as if we’d never get another chance to taste them again in the future.
I learned (or better said, I’m learning) to live in the present, because today is all I have.
Reflection:
- What feelings do the words relax, indulge, and rest evoke in you?
- Going back to the car metaphor, at what speed do you think you’re going right now?
- Where can you find the gift of rest?
- Has someone given it to you?
Excerpted from Surprised by Hospitality: An accidental pilgrimage from busyness to an abundant life, a devotional with 30 daily reflections, by Fanny Benitez.
Fanny Benitez is passionate about the place where spirituality and daily life intersect. She runs the blog fannyathome.com where she shares ideas and inspiration to lead a simple and purposeful life at home. In addition, she is the author of four books including Surprised by Hospitality. She homeschools, leads spiritual retreats, and works alongside her husband in a hospitality ministry on the Camino de Santiago, providing hospitality and care to pilgrims from all over the world. Originally from Argentina, she lives in Galicia, Spain, with her husband and her twin sons.
