After a season of preaching and healing the sick, Jesus took His apostles aside to rest. Rest wasn't a reward, it was an essential. I didn't understand that back when I was very active in my service as a member of CFC-Singles for Christ. I had to be in the thick of things. I was the epitome of Martha. I knew I had to rest, but I didn't know how. So God taught me how to rest. About two years into my service, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. The months that I had to come to terms with my diagnosis is a whole story all together, but in a nutshell I didn't just slow down, I had to stop...and stop I did...but not for long.
With my epilepsy at bay, thanks to my anti-seizure medicines, I was back to my ways. I even responded to the call to becoming a missionary going around the country training volunteer teachers. Then on weekends I would go up to the mountains to do values education in our child and youth development program. There were days when I was dead tired, but I couldn't bring myself to rest. It had come to a point that I even purchased a book entitled "Even God Rested: Why It's Okay for Women to Slow Down" to remind me that it was okay to rest. I never got around to reading the book.
As I look back to those days, I think I felt guilty about resting...and I figure I still feel a tinge of guilt up to now. With this passage I am reminded that as Jesus calls me to rest, He is right by my side making sure that I do.
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