The Promise of Rest

 There are many times where life can feel busy, but recently I have been challenged that a feeling of busyness (though common for people) is not something we should accept or be content living in.
It is so easy to find ourselves in the midst of seemingly endless striving and rushing. Our days are full, our to-do lists long. We need rest, but are we finding it? 

Finding beautiful spots on the island

Or it may be that we finally find a good balance of rest, but then something about our routines or circumstances changes and our balance is broken. We find ourselves getting tired and worn out again, we aren’t finding enough rest.

But that’s not how it is meant to be. There are many places where we read about God’s promise and offer of rest. Come to Him all who are weary and find rest for your souls!

We need to slow down and look for joy and rejuvenation. As team leaders, we have seen various people come to the islands and we have always tried to emphasize the importance of a day off, where people do things that are restful for them. But the problem is that a lot of the things that people are used to finding rest in aren’t available to them when they come to the islands— there aren’t the same relationships, technology, food and entertainment options that they had at home.

What is restful for one person isn’t the same for the next, and depending on how long you have been on the islands our needs are different. But back home, they might have gone to a restaurant or out to a movie, hung out with friends, looked up a new hiking trail. But here restaurants are few and have long wait times, there are no theaters, relationships take time to grow, and everything is done in the local language (which is exhausting for someone just learning).

Heading to the river

Being stripped bare of the things we know from back home, we are also forced to realize that a lot of the ways we often seek rest are actually just escapes and not drawing us to God (the one who offers us rest), but merely attempts to distract us from our lives.

But there is one thing that the islands has in abundance that can also help draw us into God’s presence. That is nature! Beautiful mountains, waterfall and rivers, ocean and beaches, caves and rock formations.  But accessing this beauty is not so easy.  You can’t go to a website, read a description of how to hike somewhere and just do it.  Even if such descriptions existed, the island trails are not maintained or marked. You have to have someone show you.

This weekend, we had some visitors from the big island and our teammate was showing them the sights, especially some of the natural wonders (waterfalls, beaches). On Saturday, we also took our new team family to a river spot, close enough to not be too hard to get to but far enough to feel like you are someplace new. It’s one of those spots that reminds us, “We live on a tropical island!”

Relaxing at the river

Their little son kept looking up and pointing at the sun shining through the ceiling of green overhanging leaves and saying, “Ooooh,” with a look of wonder and a sweet smile. What an innocent reminder of our need to slow down, step back, look around, and allow ourselves to be awed by what God has done and is doing. We don’t need to be in nature to do it, but a beautiful spot makes it easier to let go of other distractions and to notice what is around us.

More and more I have been convicted that the feeling of rest should not be limited to our day off or those moments out in nature. It should seep into our everyday. We should let go of the hurry and give ourselves time to look around in wonder and to come back to the throne of the one who has promised us rest for our souls.  

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We are thankful for the many beautiful spots on the island that we have discovered over the years that we get to share with others.  It was a joy to hear our visitors speak with delight about the beauties of Clove Island and to see our new family relaxing and laughing with their little ones in the river’s cool pools.  This past week was quite full with work, but with an attitude of rest fresh in our minds, it did not feel overwhelming.  There was even time for Tom and our older son to take a prayer retreat.  It went very well.  We heard this week that one of our island sisters was able to share with her father and he accepted the good news.  

PRAYERS REQUESTED
The campaign to destroy slums and deport illegal immigrants on the French island was briefly stopped by the courts, but promises to continue.  Many people have been displaced from their homes, and there is almost constant fighting with police over there.  The two countries are at logger heads over the situation, making travel more difficult and ill-will to grow.  Pray for peace, solutions and compassion for the poor and suffering.  Tom will travel this week for a conference.  He’ll be gone for almost two weeks.  Pray for Megan and the boys as they get along without him and pray for Tom’s travels to go well.  Our daughter will have her 15th birthday on Sunday (her first away from family), pray that she would feel encouraged and loved that day.