The notebooks and pencils have been pushed away for a season, the warm air is electric with anticipation, and the flip-flops and shorts are resurfacing in my closet. Yes, summer decided to arrive, finally! Summer, for me, marks a time of rest and renewal but also a very busy time. Ministry events always pick up, visiting old friends, and of course tackling the ever present to-do list. And on my list this summer is a lot of reading; researching revival, making my way through the list of Classics I still have from high school, and anything Ted Dekker publishes over the next few months.
Also on "the list": relearn all the music theory I've forgotten along the way; including all the scales and such. The longer I play bass, the more I realize I never knew or can't remember.
As for reading, I have a substantial pile of books. I plan to post my tentative reading list on here, once it's finished. But right now, I'm reading: The Incredulity of Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton; George Washington Carver: His life and faith in his own words by William J. Federer; The Slumber of Christianity by Ted Dekker; Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen; and Sinner by Ted Dekker, quite the armload!!
I hope you all have a relaxing and fun summer! What are your plans for the coming months?
-Liz
Monday, May 18, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
"Uncomfortable Rest" from The Ramp
The Ramp is a ministry located in Hamilton, Alabama. I went with a group of dear friends to the Ramp's Winter Retreat at the end of 2007, and I stay up to date with them on Myspace- where else? Micah is one of the leaders there, and he wrote this insightful note. I haven't stopped thinking about his words and how very true they are. I thought I'd share this with you all here, just in case you haven't seen it. Enjoy!
Uncomfortable Rest
Not too long ago, I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, “The kingdom is not comfortable, but it is rest.” He said this to me in response to my own disobedience. I had felt a drawing to befriend someone and tell them about Jesus, but had resisted the drawing. It would have been inconvenient and uncomfortable to do what Holy Spirit was telling me to do. I disobeyed and experienced agony and unrest in my soul. There is not a more horrible feeling then knowing you said, “No,” to the Holy Ghost. During this period of agony is when He said to me, “The kingdom is not comfortable, but it is rest.” This simple phrase has forever changed the way I handle my life.
Too many times we recognize that our bodies and minds are fatigued and decide what we need is physical rest and some time of fleshing out. We take a couple extra naps or watch a questionable movie to feed our carnal nature, but never feel quite rested. Then, we decide we are waking up a little too early or staying up a little too late, and we start cutting back our prayer and Bible times for more sleep. We interpret our fatigue and weariness as something that can be solved by making our flesh more comfortable. I think our interpretation of the problem is a little off.
Though there are times physical rest is definitely needed, the overarching problem is not really that our flesh is not comfortable enough. The problem is that our spirits are not comfortable enough. True rest and peace are found when we are in the middle of the will of God, giving all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength to seeking and loving God. Any other place produces in us an unsettledness because we were created for something greater.
Hebrews 4:6 tells us that people do not enter into rest because of disobedience. If you would get very honest with yourself, the times where you feel the most rested and peaceful are not the times of great inactivity. They are the times of the greatest pursuit after God. That’s because rest is not available to the disobedient, but the those who obey and do not harden their hearts before God. Set yourself to believe that the kingdom will not be comfortable to your flesh. It will require less sleep for more prayer. It will require less eating for more fasting. It will require less TV and movies for more Bible. Submitting to spiritual authority is not fun when they tell you to break up a relationship, but in the uncomfortable place of obedience, there is rest. The kingdom is not comfortable, but it is rest.
-Micah
By the way, their myspace page is as follows: myspace.com/chosenontheroad.
Love,
Liz
Uncomfortable Rest
Not too long ago, I heard the Holy Spirit say to me, “The kingdom is not comfortable, but it is rest.” He said this to me in response to my own disobedience. I had felt a drawing to befriend someone and tell them about Jesus, but had resisted the drawing. It would have been inconvenient and uncomfortable to do what Holy Spirit was telling me to do. I disobeyed and experienced agony and unrest in my soul. There is not a more horrible feeling then knowing you said, “No,” to the Holy Ghost. During this period of agony is when He said to me, “The kingdom is not comfortable, but it is rest.” This simple phrase has forever changed the way I handle my life.
Too many times we recognize that our bodies and minds are fatigued and decide what we need is physical rest and some time of fleshing out. We take a couple extra naps or watch a questionable movie to feed our carnal nature, but never feel quite rested. Then, we decide we are waking up a little too early or staying up a little too late, and we start cutting back our prayer and Bible times for more sleep. We interpret our fatigue and weariness as something that can be solved by making our flesh more comfortable. I think our interpretation of the problem is a little off.
Though there are times physical rest is definitely needed, the overarching problem is not really that our flesh is not comfortable enough. The problem is that our spirits are not comfortable enough. True rest and peace are found when we are in the middle of the will of God, giving all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength to seeking and loving God. Any other place produces in us an unsettledness because we were created for something greater.
Hebrews 4:6 tells us that people do not enter into rest because of disobedience. If you would get very honest with yourself, the times where you feel the most rested and peaceful are not the times of great inactivity. They are the times of the greatest pursuit after God. That’s because rest is not available to the disobedient, but the those who obey and do not harden their hearts before God. Set yourself to believe that the kingdom will not be comfortable to your flesh. It will require less sleep for more prayer. It will require less eating for more fasting. It will require less TV and movies for more Bible. Submitting to spiritual authority is not fun when they tell you to break up a relationship, but in the uncomfortable place of obedience, there is rest. The kingdom is not comfortable, but it is rest.
-Micah
By the way, their myspace page is as follows: myspace.com/chosenontheroad.
Love,
Liz
Time Flies...
I looked for a quote about time, but I didn't find any particularly striking. We'll just have to endure my unaccompanied ramblings, I suppose!
The real reason I haven't posted anything in so long is that there simply has been nothing "blog-worthy." Awaken has performed a couple of times since our weekend in Del Rio, but I have no pictures to show for them. Most of the time I'm torn between being "on stage" and behind the scenes just chronicling the whole event. If only there were two of me!
My days of studying and counting down for the proverbial final bell of the semester are numbered. School will be finished next Thursday, thankfully, so hopefully I can get out and take more pictures very soon. It almost doesn't even feel like spring compared to last year. I was down at the rose garden at least three nights a week this time last year, but geology is currently demanding too much time for those long hours with the beautiful flowers.
I am compiling a list of books I want to read this summer; I bought so many books at sales this year, and I haven't read any of them! I really think reading is such a gift and pleasure; you are learning, using life skills, and embarking on a new adventure, all while sitting in your favorite chair! It's one of life's simple pleasures, along with coffee!!
I have been thinking a lot about Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Jesus Movement, recently. I think it is so refreshing and humbling to see how God uses youth to call nations out of apathy and complacency! I pray He will do it again, even now, starting with my heart and attitudes.
Sorry for being all over the place, hopefully I will be a little more coherent in my next post!
-Liz
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)