Finding rest in this busy and demanding world is a challenge. But I believe that is exactly what God has called me to do this year. He is teaching me how to find His promised rest, as you’ll see below, even on the saddle of my new bike. I’ll be pursuing this topic further in a new teaching series that begins tomorrow (9/17/13) “Times of Refreshing: Rethinking Work and Rest.” I invite you to join me in class or online (see this website’s Resources section for weekly postings beginning this Wednesday).
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ON THE ROAD TO REST
Recently, after a long string of running injuries, my husband bought me a bike for my birthday. It is a beautiful powder-blue multi-terrain model that makes me feel like a kid at Christmas whenever I see it.
It’s true what they say about riding a bike—just hop on and it comes right back to you. However, when I took my new toy to the bike lanes at Oak Mountain State Park, I realized I was pretty inept. There are some serious bikers out there. I struggled to climb every hill, chafing (both literally and figuratively) as my bicycling betters pedaled by with seeming ease.
It was really no surprise that I need to train to master my new sport. In the same way, I want to master the art of rest–to experience it as God has promised it to us. As I’ve explored both cycling and rest, I’ve discovered a few principles these two pursuits have in common.
Balance is important. I’ve found this out the hard way in both arenas. On last Sunday’s ride, I came upon a sharp turn. Even though I slowed down, I wobbled off the pavement. I’m still limping from the spill I took. Likewise, I find myself “wiped out” when my proportions of rest and work fall off-balance. If I overdo it in my work life, I am left too spent to enjoy times set aside for recreation and creativity.
Finding and sustaining a cadence has been helpful. I learned this in my spinning class, which simulates real-life bicycling. Off the bike, I’m asking Jesus to teach me His “rhythms of grace” (Matthew 11:29 MSG). When I am attentive and following His lead, I am less apt to hurry the pace. And I’m more able to live in the present when I have the certainty of His grace for the next step (or turn of the pedals).
One of the most challenging things about my new bike is shifting gears–that’s not at all like the one-speed I had growing up! Change is hard to negotiate. When I’ve made abrupt shifts on uneven terrain, it has interrupted my ride more than once and even landed me in the repair shop. In the ever-evolving seasons of life, I’m better able to maintain a restful spirit when I respond rather than react to changing circumstances. As life unfolds, I can count on God to “make known to me the path of life” (Psalm 16:11).
As I partner with Jesus, it’s like riding a tandem bike. He’s in the front determining my direction and doing most of the pedaling work. He offers me His wisdom to know when to strain toward a goal and when to coast a little bit. When Jesus joins me in the journey, times of refreshing rest come from His presence. I really can relax and find joy in the ride!
You will find your joy in the Lord, and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.” The mouth of the LORD has spoken.
Isaiah 58:14 NIV