"And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”" ... Exodus 33:14
******
Sheesh! Sit down on your red couch to watch a few X-Files reruns and suddenly it's 9 days and no blog posts later.
Heh.
No, really, probably twice (thrice?) a year my mind needs a true vacation--this was one of those times. You know, what with --
the car accident,
the paperwork from said accident (Tom and I regularly lose paperwork for breakfast),
our dreadful, humid summer that I barely survived (I've sat here basking--recovering--in glorious, cool Autumn with deepest gratitude),
and-- to (mis)quote Michel from Gilmore Girls-- the way "people are acting especially stupid these days." π
And more I'd rather not mention now. Perhaps later.
Anyway, this homemaking gig! You'll never hear ol' Debra begging for personal days off. No, she just takes 'em.
Oh, of course housework never ends (and if you think about it, I'll never be able to retire), but I can tweak the work, move it around and play lots of the clean-the-house-during-tv-commercials game--and still get much done while feeling vacation-y (how good this feels). Or I postpone some of it.
I like that, too.
Technically, though, I'm aiming to live with my mind on vacation. You know, with my brain consistently at rest (on an imagined beach, maybe?), whole flights away from --
worry
dread
frustration
complaining
discontentment
and wanting what God does not want for me.
Yep, I believe God enables us to disentangle our minds from worrisome junk and stuff which is, frankly, none of our business. That's why I keep this verse on my blog's sidebar, 24/7:
"...and make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands..." ...1 Thessalonians 4:11
It's like a map to peace, especially these days, what with people 'leaping in where angels fear to tread' and then gasping, "Oh no! Where did all this stress come from, anyway?"
Messing in others' business = the stress of being over ones head in No Grace Land. Scaaaaary!
Instead, I pray to become an expert at deciphering what is my business and stay far from what certainly is not. (Gee, there's millions of not-Debra's-business stuff out there!)
And may I remember there's peace and grace only when I get the differentiation right.
******
Oh, and when voices in my head said stuff like, "Your so-called Mind Vacation is just an excuse for laziness and isolating yourself," I shut it up with truths like this --
"Every season is not a growing season. Every season is not harvest. There are seasons of watering, seasons of planting, seasons of pulling up the weeds, and fertilizing the ground. These are important seasons. They are times of testing where God is seeing what you’re made of. Are you going to keep a good attitude when you’re not making progress? Are you going to do the right thing when you’re not seeing growth? Have faith and patience." .... Joel Osteen
(And I would add: 'there are seasons of resting the soil' which yes, is A Thing.) π
******
My friend, Ann, shared this cool quote at Facebook.
******
Oh, and could you please pray for a friend of mine? She's a 'charter reader' of this blog--has faithfully read here all these 14 years--and the doctors told her she has cancer. Oh dear.
But we can all pray for her and believe, truly believe, for the very, very best.
Thanks so much!
******
"Walk ... with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love." ... Ephesians 4:2