Saturday, February 16, 2013

Take Time to Rest

Tuesday's first reading was from Genesis 1:20-2:4.  "God rested on the 7th day from all the work he had undertaken," (Gen 2:2).  How ironic to read about rest the day before Ash Wednesday. 

Perhaps for our Lenten resolution, we could take a cue from the reading.  What about taking time to slow down and rest?  The world is a busy place, and it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of life. 

Resting would certainly be countercultural.  We fill our lives with so much.  Jesus always had a lot to do also, but he always took time to pray.

I wonder when multi-tasking became common place?  There's a commercial that shows how this has become the norm and even seen as better.  Maybe you've seen it.  A man is sitting at a table with a group of kids and asks, "What's better - doing 1 or 2 things at once?"  The kids all answer, "Two." 

The first time I saw this I thought, "How awful, but how true."  Busyness is the culture we live in. 

One thing I'm working on this Lenten season is to really take time to eat lunch.  Often, I eat lunch and keep right on working.  If I plan a littler beter, not overextend myself, and ask for help when needed, I'd find time to really relax, put work aside, and enjoy a work-free lunch. 

As a teacher, we only get 20-25 minutes for lunch anyway, so this is only a start, but it's a good start toward having control over what I do and when I do it rather than letting what I do control me. 

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