Rest and Wait

I bet you have never read a devotional comparing our spiritual walk to a cut of meat.

Until today, that is.

The other night, I was making a new recipe, and the instructions directed me to allow the meat to rest after cooking.

Rest? Meat gets to rest? How nice for meat.

Excuse me, but I am very impatient, and I have things to do, so let's get this dinner done already so I can move on to other things.

Plus, everything else is ready, and people are hungry!

But okay, meat, you go on and rest for a while.

I can wait. I suppose.

When dinner was done (finally), everyone declared that the meal was delicious and well worth the wait.

Perhaps I am losing my mind that somehow this dinner somehow became a source of wisdom we can use in our lives.

God has been preparing you.

You have been seasoned with flavors of wonderful joys and deep sorrows. You have experienced pain, fear, and uncertainty.

All of this makes you very rare and precious.

Here you are, making this brave journey one step at a time and you are eager to just get to the good part.

But, in order to have the best results, there are moments when you have to wait for a bit.

Sometimes, you must heal, rest, and allow all that has happened to soak in before moving forward.

I don't know about you, but waiting and resting have never been my strong suits.

But now that I re-read that last sentence, maybe they should be.

Resting after experiencing painful things is so important to heal and recover.

Waiting to move or act allows you to be clear and connect with God and His wisdom within your spirit.

The world tells us to act now and hurry while supplies last; we don't have time to waste.

But when we rush to act or respond, we are usually left with a tough and painful outcome.

When we dismiss or ignore our feelings, we are left with drab and flavorless results.

But God tells us to sit, heal, rest, recover, and wait.

It might take a while.

It might take a long while.

But when we allow ourselves to marinate in God's love as we rest, feel, recover, and wait, the result is a life that is so flavorful, tender, and magnificent.

Let’s be brave and put on the strong suits of waiting and resting.

Because what is coming is going to be well worth the wait.

Okay, is anyone else hungry now?

Psalm 62: 1-2

Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Matthew 11: 28-30

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Psalm 4:8

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.