Our Sanctuary
It was the last few days of our two weeks at our Sanctuary, our small cabin buried deep among the pines of the Wet Mountains, the place where we go to refresh and refuel.
A text came from two friends both sharing their great weariness. I was caught off guard. That was not how I was feeling at all. But of course not. They were in the midst of people, appointments, and do-lists. I was in the midst of listening to breezes, enjoying the chatter of birds, uninterrupted leisurely quiet times, watching the clouds, and one night the Milky Way, Su-do-ku puzzles, and a good novel. They were giving out; I was taking in.
I was reminded of God’s creation account in Genesis 1 and 2. On days 1 -5, God created all those things I was enjoying at our Sanctuary. And he called it “good”. On the 6th day, he created man in his image, and called it “very good”. And then on the 7th day, God rested and he called it “holy”. Our time of rest is holy time.
Holy and not forever.
“And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves
to a desolate place and rest a while.”
Mark 6:31 ESV
Come away – This was Jesus’ invitation to his disciples in the midst of a busy ministry time. To leave behind their normals, their do-list, the crowds, their ministry, and join him.
with me – The New International Version adds this small phrase “with me”. To me this seems important. Jesus isn’t sending the disciples away, he is inviting them to come away with him, let him be their companion. Our Sanctuary is for us (Bill and me) a unique place to go and be with Jesus … and each other.
by yourselves – At this point there are still 12 disciples. The invitation was to all of them, to 12 like-hearted men.
to a desolate place – The NIV as well as the NLT (New Living Translation) says a quiet place. A desolate place is usually also a quiet place. A place to listen well and enjoy what God has created.
and rest – One size fits all does not apply to rest. For my husband to rest, quiet music in the
From an ad cut from a magazine.
background is his desire; for me quiet is quiet … except for the sounds of God’s creation. We did something different this time, we kept our phones on ‘silent’. I still checked my messages and emails morning and evening, but I did it on my time, not when my phone alerted me a new message had arrived. This picture magneted to our fridge says, “the best way to recharge is to unplug”. I agree.
a while – The rest our cabin provides does not last forever. It is for a while. There is a time to return. When we returned last week, I knew that there were phone calls waiting to be made. I made them from the place of quiet God worked in my life during our days at the cabin.
For the disciples that particular time of rest was not two weeks long. They were quickly tossed back into ministry. That often is our experience as well.
So we rest a while. Savor the times God graciously provides.
Man, I can feel more relaxed just by hearing about your time away. I have been longing (and needing, it would be of great benefit to those around me) to step back. Not always feasible but I have been pondering the verse that says “come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest”. Things have felt heavy lately. Almost oppressively so. I am realizing that Haven I have been seeking is already present. I just have to step back, find that quiet place in my heart and choose to dwell there for a while. There is nothing more comforting than sitting at the feet of Jesus especially when I am feeling so troubled. Thanks for your encouraging reminders.
Hey Becky,
You know, most of my quiet times of rest are not at our cabin. Most of the time they are in my chair either being outside (I love this time of year.) or looking outside and meeting with Jesus knowing that very soon, I’ll be leaving that chair and connecting with others.
But one thought I had recently is to me more intentional in planning extended times with the Lord, perhaps once a quarter. There is a small lake in town that I like to go to and be with Jesus, but I’ve been very haphazard about how much I go there the last few years. It’s a day trip. But I hope to restart a new habit.
Bless you my friend, sue
What a beautiful and wisdom filled message!! Thank you, Sue.
Prayers for you and Bill as you minister to others in Florida.
Thank you Linda.
In the fall, I’d like to get together and find out what is happening in church for women our age.
love, sue
Sue, thank you for the reminder this kind of rest is “holy.” Now retired, I have more time to spend with the Lord, but I also find it’s more difficult to focus. My time is my own now (rather than the company’s), so the choices regarding how to spend that time abound. “What do I need to do today?” often crowds out solitude, even in my quiet times. “I am my Beloved’s, and His desire is for me.” Thank you for reminding me resting with the Lord is a holy act of worship.
And you know, Sandy, it does take practice to come to this place of quiet.
You might start with an alarm clock … that sounds crazy doesn’t it??? Set it for 5 minutes, grab your coffee and just sit with the Lord (and your coffee) …. no journaling, no Bible, just be. Enjoy the birds, or watching your lake or, or, or. Don’t worry about what wanders through your mind. And when the 5 minutes is up, move into your normal quiet time routine.
If you try it, let me know how it works.
love your transparency, sue
Sue this morning I was praying for you and Bill. Thanks for sharing the importance of rest and coming apart.
It is healing. I have a chair in my back porch that I like to sit morning and evening. Enjoying the birds and the landscape. I need to multiply this time. To quiet my heart from thoughts and burdens. Just learn to be still. I keep giving out. Need to take in more and more. Quiet worship is holy.
Thanks for sharing.