Fly Forward

What I've learned about resting I've learned through nature and the Word of God. I haven't learned through people the concept of resting. I don't think I know many people who are intentional about resting. It's not an easy thing to do, nor is it a cultural value. It almost seems counterintuitive to rest in our culture. Since ours is a culture driven by productivity, significance gained through accomplishment, and efficiency, it would almost seem a ludicrous idea to stop simply for the sake of resting.

Yet, there is a strong invitation in the the Word that would have us rest. It's woven all throughout scripture. It's woven all throughout our world. Life is seasonal. God has ordered His world in this way. No one season is more important than another. They all have a purpose to fulfill.

I see God in nature....especially trees....I love trees. If you'll notice with me, trees are not fruitful all year round. After a season of harvest or fruitfulness, the beauty springs forth in fullness of color through leaves in the fall. Leaves are at their prime beauty just before death. But, they are not finished yet. They fall to the ground in their death and nourish the soil for the next season of toil and production of beauty. This is the way God orders His natural world. Rest is required for renewal and restoration. Rest allows more beauty to come later. Rest is very active. This cycle of toil, beauty, fruit and rest is what God has said to be good. It is the creative process itself. In this painting the tree has ceased any work. There are no leaves or fruit. No toil. It is in a place of rest and dormancy. But you'll notice some dynamic things happening amidst the dormancy. Things around it are full of color and vibrancy and activity. Its roots seem to be moving into the deep. There are good things happening and not all that is visible. Some work of rest is done in subterraneous, dark places that can't be seen.

In my own experience of resting, I find it difficult to acquiese to ambiguity. Let me explain. Rest requires that we relinquish the demand for an answer to an open-ended question. It is , as my friend says, a lifestyle of "living in the question mark". If we deny ourselves rest until our questions are answered and our loose ends are tied up, we will never receive the gift of rest. The irony of it is that rest lends itself to working out the questions.

I was given an art assignment where I was to take ink to 3 different 4x4 squares and take 45 minutes a day for a week and spend time working on each square alternatively for 45 minutes so as to apply about 15 minutes to each square for each session. The point was to keep it as open-ended for as long as possible, leaving all parts of the composition incomplete until the last minute. I remember my teacher saying, give the composition lots of space and time for great things to happen. This can be applied to life as well. When we make a choice, we die to all other possibilities and have our answer. And that can be good. But, we tend to want the answer right away, and we don't leave room for other possibilities and allow space for God to work. Sometimes living in the question mark and forsaking a quick, tidy answer will make way for surprises! And, surprisingly, ambiguity leaves a spaciousness for rest. "Be prepared to be surprised" - Sondre Lerche