“We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.”

-C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

As I write this, a week and a half before finals week and deeply worn out from a sinus issues and the demands of the close of the semester, I have to admit that I am great at being busy. I excell at filling my life with good things;student council meetings, homework, work, volunteering, honors meetings etc. The list could go on for some time. As a type A extrovert, a resident perfectionist and over achiever, an ESFJ-A in the Meyers-Briggs, I find deep fulfillment in a full social calendar and in the monotony and structure of my daily routines and schedules. My favorite narrative in the Bible is the story of the two sisters: Mary and Martha found in Luke 10.

"Now as they were traveling along, He entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary, who moreover was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at His feet. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him, and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

This story resonates with me in many ways. First and foremost, like Martha, I am the oldest sibling with two sisters and a brother, all of which have starkly contrasting personalities to my own. As the oldest, I often feel a great deal of responsibility to pitch in, to lead and to organize. I feel the call to set the tone for my siblings and it can certainly be frustrating when my siblings have a different perspective on what should be done.

Secondly, I relate with Martha's desire to meet the needs of those around her. I understand her drive and determination to stick to her to do list and intinerary. She was great at making the most of her time productive and busying herself with good things, things that needed to be done. However, she missed the invitation to do the best thing: to sit and rest at Jesus's feet.

I don't know about you, but I often make the same mistake. I avoid my quiet time in prayer too often in favor of checking off some Physics or Chemistry homework. I dread silence and struggle to be still and rest. I often choose to rush in and "fix" problems in my life instead of waiting and listening. I like Martha miss the calling of the Savior due to the desire to remain busy and accomplish things. I can often choose the good thing, instead of the best thing.

And yet silence and rest is necessary.

When I am silent and without distractions that so easily ensnare my focus, I am humbled out of the puffed up false affirmation of my busyness. I am called out of apathy to the afflictions of others that have been so cruelly ignored with the excuse " I am too busy to worry about this." It's moments of silence that force us to drop pretense and the grandeur of the masquerade, in favor of honest confrontation of who we are and how we choose to live life. In silence, I away from the deafening noise of life, I am able to find perspective, focus, and my deep need for Jesus to nourish me.

Rest is equally hard for me. I rarely sit still often choosing to fidget and move about. I deeply enjoy have commitments and obligations to pour my passion and energy into. I tend to pull late nights and schedule long days, and ignore too often the fact that I was created to have time to rest, time for Sabbath. I work myself into a weariness and exhaustion. Matthew 11:28 reads “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.” I too often forget to listen to this call. I forget that I cannot provide all I need and that I am called to rest. It's not that God is against hard work, in fact that hard-working nature is an echo of His nature within in us, but He who calls us to work also calls us unto Him. He calls us to allow him to be our rest and provision.

In this struggle, I am more than likely not alone. It seems to be a theme in our American culture, the adoration of busyness. Our culture glorifies rugged individualism and the value of hard work. We work hard and long and do not seem to value rest as much as we should.

Hard work, the satisfaction of finishing a to do list and the like are certainly not bad things, in fact they are quite admirable and necessary.

In my two trips to the Dominican Republic, I have been struck by their deep value of rest. The people as a whole work whole-heartedly and to the greatest excellence, and also place great value in their health, and in cultivating and maintaining relationships in the community. Work is done well and right, but not to a backbreaking hustle. They regard physical and spiritual rest as essential and important in maintaining a happy balanced life. They also in the midst of the work are able to slow down enough to foster the growth of those around them.

In rest, I am able to pull away and be in the silence with Jesus, I am able to refilled and refreshed until my cup runs over. Without rest, I am pouring out of an ever emptying cup. I am more prone to sharpness, apathy, ignorance, and every wicked pitfall. Deprived of rest, I can often become a stressed overwhelmed, frazzled, goal crazed machine until I burnout, pass out or become deeply ill. Our need for rest can not forever be denied; it will catch up with us in one way another in the forms of various illnesses and exhaustion.

The practice of of rest is a counter-cultural practice, that will require us to be deeply thoughtful and intentional about our priorities.Rest and silence are holy callings, spiritual disciplines that in the midst of rush and hustle of every day lives we must continually and consciously institute and practice. God wants more for us for more that a life of fulfillment in things that we have created and chased, but want us to rest in Him. Rest in him and refocus on hearts in the warm embrace of God. This is a spiritual act of worship that is worth fiercely pursuing and guarding.

So please,

Stop.

Breathe.

Pray.

Enjoy the Silence.

Repeat.

Remember the world will not stop, when you do. Choose to pursue the best thing, the call of Christ above all things.

So I am going to make a cup of hot chai tea, snuggle up with a good book, and bid you all a good night.