Take the Long Way

I drive the same routes and roads over and over, I begin to notice signs to interesting sites. I mean, not interesting enough that I have made it to those sites before, but interesting enough to say to myself, "Huh...maybe I should check that out some

time." Of course, I never do and I just drive by the sign over and over again. Some of the Tucson signs I see are: "Rooster Cogburn's Ostrich Farm," "Biosphere 2," and

"Tucson Botanical Garden Butterfly Magic."

It's time to take an extra 10-20 minutes out of my travel to see the sites.
Recently, I was heading to Pinetop with some friends, and lo and behold, we see the "Biosphere 2" sign, and one of my friends suggested we check it out. I wrestled with my rigid commitment to promptness, and turned off the main drag to the side road.

I wish I had tales of Biosphere 2 to dazzle you with, but the truth is we arrived as it was closing and guffawed at the $20 per/person entry fee. But we had a great photo opp and curiosity was suppressed.

But most of all, we laughed together.

We shared an adventure and we laughed.

Take the side road for three reasons:

1. Quench curiosity (De-clutter the brain from the list of future "to do's" by just doing it)
2. Not be a slave to the clock (realize that taking 10 minutes out of the day won't end the world)
3. Laugh

Rest, God did.

Genesis 2:2 "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work."

Yes, we have heard that it is important to take a Sabbath because, after all, God did on the seventh day. Easy to say before the day of the Blackberry. It is so tempting to just glance at that one email, but that one glance steals my rest immediately. Why do I do it? If God rested, what do I think is so important to keep me from doing the same.

As I looked closer at this verse, I not only see how God rested, but how He worked contributing to the ability to rest. Here is what I saw:

1. "God finished"--It is so much easier to rest when a task is completed and not taunting us with "if you just gave me a few minutes, I'd be done." Even though we know it really means an hour or two.
   
   
2. "the work he had been doing"--There was focus on a specific task until it was complete. I tend to start a new task in the middle of another one, so that on my desk there are four or five incomplete tasks instead of one finished one.


3. "He rested"--Just those words make my shoulders relax and my heart rate slow.


4. "from all his work"--Everything is put away; there is no checking that one email, or looking up that one report. It is rest from all the work we have, putting it all down for the sake of rest.

I let technology steal my rest all the time. When I put it down, I am freed up to engage with the people, silence, laughter, or creation around me.

Rest is good for my health (spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional).

Rest is good for my marriage.

Rest is good for my relationships.

So let's rest!