Those who know me, know my daily life is extremely regimented. I have a to-do list. I have timers in place on my phone to keep me on schedule. There are post-it notes lying about the house to remind me of various tasks.
For the last six months, I have held tightly to those lists and alarms and post-its as I coaxed my little book out into the world.
For the last week, I threw all those helpmates out the window and with my 16 year old son by my side, we flew out to England to just be.
I work hard and as they say, I play hard too. That is I rest hard. We arrived in England last week to my favorite Benedictine community in Surrey and rested. We did not have an agenda besides rest, eat and pray. If a monk wanted to talk, we had all the time in the world. If a parishioner asked us to coffee or dinner after prayers, of course. We were simply open to what God wanted to show us.
We tried to keep this openness as we left Surrey and went into Essex for a few days. We’ve learned we are easy to entertain. Grateful for a nap or an umbrella outside to sip a lemonade under or a conversation with a stranger on the street that nourished our soul.
Both of us are gathering seeds. My son, for music and leadership, we talk about ways to bring people together and how he can use his gift for Jazz Trumpet in this next school year. And myself, I have stories I want to share with you and new ways to tell them.
But for now, we rest.
Right now I sit in my friend’s house in Kent with a cup of tea as I watch the wind on the plants outside. After six months of busy, hard work, I sense God saying, rest as we move into something new. It will be difficult but so good.
In one week I will return to lists, alarms and post-its but for a few more days, I will simply be open, to conversations, rest and adventures.
Where to next? I am nearly ready.
Enjoy your rest. It’s a rare commodity these days.
Rest Hard"