Wisdom in Resting

1 Corinthians 2:5

    Set the scene: It's Saturday. I'm on a trip with my bestie and child. It's a book convention. It's been planned for a year. The tickets were expensive. Lots of events throughout the day, and I promised to help my bestie with the books she was picking up and meet her favorite authors. What happens? My chronic pain flares up from the days before. So I had a decision to make. Do I push through the pain and make it worse? Do I stay behind in the hotel room and rest up? I was in tears Friday night coming to the decision. I decided it was wise to stay in the hotel on Saturday and not attend the last day. 

It actually started on Friday, cause I felt the pain coming on, limiting me. So much so that I had a panic attack. I haven't had one of those in a long time. Here I was trying to push through the crowds, carry my chair and cane along with my bag and drink, and the pain was gradually increasing, causing me to feel trapped. My bestie could see I was struggling and told me to go sit in the corner away from the crowds and rest. In the past, I would have pushed through and said, "No, I can make it." But I was honest. With her and myself. I agreed and went to a corner and rested. Before I even sat down, the tears began to pour out. The last thing I wanted to do was to draw attention to myself during my panic attack, so I put my sunglasses on and just sat with a tissue to breathe through it. So many thoughts were going through my head as I sat trying to wait for the pain to lessen.

At the end of the day, I told my bestie and child that I was going to stay back at the hotel on Saturday. I was ready for pushback, but they understood. They had seen my pain and understood. Which made me want to cry again, because not only did they see it, but they cared enough not to make me feel guilty (which I was already doing to myself). For that, I am so grateful.

So yeah, not the way I planned to spend my Saturday, laid up in a hotel, in pain, but God revealed the wisdom of the situation to me. There is wisdom in learning to listen to your body and not push yourself just because you are on vacation and have plans. And there is beauty in having friendships with those who understand and do not make you feel guilty or as if you are ruining their trip because of something beyond your control. There is a lot to unpack here.

God wants us to rest

Even God rested after creating the world. "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done." (Genesis 2: 2-3)

The bible mentions resting quite a bit. There is wisdom in resting. When Jesus fed the 5,000, he told the apostles to "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and rest." (Mark 6:31) There were many times that Jesus went away on his own to pray and rest. The Father even created a day of rest for his people. "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience." (Hebrews 4:9-11) When Elijah was afraid for his life and ran into the wilderness, he prayed that God would end his life. But God gave him food and rest. He tended to him before encouraging and guiding him on the next leg of his journey. (1 Kings 19) These are just a few examples in the bible. The term "rest" appears over 200 times in the bible (depending on your version). There is wisdom in resting. 

Faith and Rest

Faith isn't always about pushing through a situation. It's about listening to God and being obedient. Having faith in what God is telling you and believing in His perfect will, which may include rest. "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do." James 2:18 Seek the Lord for guidance, and He will show you what to do. Pushing through isn't always the answer. Sometimes it is waiting and resting. But if you are so focused on pushing through something that you miss God's whisper. Being obedient and faithful isn't about YOUR works. "Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law or by believing what you heard? I ask again, does God give you His spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?" (Galatians 3:2,5) Do you believe what Jesus says? "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

I don't need to push through something to prove I have faith. And because I feel it's wise to stop and rest, it doesn't mean I don't trust God. Sometimes, when you push through, it means you DON'T trust God. By pushing through when you are not supposed to means you are not listening to God. You are being disobedient. Sometimes the answer is to wait.

Resting and Waiting

Resting includes waiting on the Lord. God has a reason for everything. There is wisdom in waiting. Resting allows our strength to build up. Just as God gave Elijah rest to build up his strength for the long journey, He gives us rest to prepare us for our journey. "But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31) God is a god of perfect timing. We can't move things along faster than God's will. He is faithful. "Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near." (James 5:7-8)

In Conclusion

Do I think I wasn't supposed to go on this trip? No, I don't think that was the case. Mainly because I would have missed out on this wonderful lesson. Leading up to this trip, I had pain, and I was concerned if I could (or should) do this. Sometimes we need to go through the valley to draw closer to God. We learn to lean on Him and trust Him through the darkness. Yeah, I had so many thoughts go through my head. So many negative voices. But the only voice I need to listen to is the voice of truth. Nothing is wasted when you listen to Him. He takes what the enemy means for evil and turns it for His good. 

This is why it is important to surround yourself with the right people. My bestie and my child supported my decision to stay back at the hotel. I was able to be honest with them. And I went through a great lesson with the Lord. In the past, I've had some who made me feel guilty for the chronic pain I was suffering through. I was accused of lying and trying to ruin trips. So I kept quiet and tried to push through. And I would come out the other end wrecked. Fear dictated those decisions. But I'm working on trusting God through the fear. That's the point of this whole journey. God is stripping away all the fear that has built up inside of me from past situations and strengthening the muscles of faith. Faith over Fear.

Jen