This week has been busier then usual, hours spent on a film set, hours spent editing my new work and sending it out to reviewers. Preparing a new teaching for this weekend, along with working with my hubby to create a video for it. Taking photos on set, working hard to get a BIG project started and replying to loads of emails and being super organised when it comes to mobilising location, models, hair and make - up. Transcribing a recent interview I did, and working on a new one for next week and just everything in between. It's been pretty fun and pretty amazing but the best part of it is, the beautiful sense of God's sweet presence and Power in it all. Which leads me to thinking about the joy of sacred work. Over the years I have waited on God to help me cultivate a lifestyle of rest, of Sabbath. My husband and I are Sabbath - keepers, evry Friday night when the sun sets we light our candles and settle down for 24 hours of Sabbath. It is our spiritual conviction to remember and obey the biblical Sabbath and it is such a delight in our home. Sabbath is sacred time, the rest of the week days are termed to be "common" or "normal" but Sabbath ushers in something sacred and from this example we learn to distinguish between what has Yahweh our God's stamp on and what is just normal.
Having said this, I know that Sabbath has become a term or reality people are familiarising themselves with a lot more these days. Yet in this I have said to myself (and to others) that "people teach us how to rest, but no one teaches us how to work." God took years to teach me how to rest. He had to, because I had burn out a number of times even though I was a Sabbth keeper! God taught me how to rest, now He is teaching me how to work in sanctity. I have also learned that I had burn out because I was doing tasks, investing in charity work and serving in places, where I was not called to serve. I was giving out too much on things not ordained just for me. Yet, deeper still I had wounds that Father needed to heal so that I could truly rest. Yes, to cultivate a weekly time for Sabbath is fabulous, biblical even, but to cultivate a lifestyle of surrender to God's best even when you do not understand it, that's a spiritual discipline that ushers in true rest. It helps eyes distinguish between what is "common" and what is sacred. Next time you are faced with tiredness, ask yourself am I invested in God's best for me? If I am, then this is sacred work and there will be tiredness, frustration even, but it's work ordained just for you and ony you can do it best! Let's not all desire a break from our lives, but to live our lives bringing rest to our work. Resting in work means let God lead and do not strive, be smart and be discerning!
Over at Five Minute Friday
Thank you for the encouraging words! I am one who loves to take a step back and analyze, but am weak in making the changes necessary to truly rest. A great reminder to rest, not only on the Sabbath, but to rest in work as well.(Your FMF neighbor #15 this week)
ReplyDeleteLoved this: "To cultivate a lifestyle of surrender to God's best even when you do not understand it, that's a spiritual discipline that ushers in true rest."
ReplyDeleteI completely understand that even if I'm still learning to live it. We waste too much time and energy arguing and wrestling with God. Surrender - such a gift.
Thanks, Aliyah, for the good reminder.