Creating Sacred in the Busyness

This past week one of my life long dreams became a reality, thanks to two of my dear friends.  In college, I always had a poster hanging on my wall that said "San Francisco" with a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge. We spent our first full day in the city going on a tour of several different parts of this city. Then, we slowly drove down the winding roads to the Golden Gate Bridge. As my friends and I watched the rocks and the splashing water beneath the burnt orange bridge (I learned about the correct color from the tour guide), it was hard not to tear up at the realization that I was sitting right there! We took lots of pictures to try to capture the moment and then got back on the bus to visit a few more places. Just like any city it was a bustling place; cars passed back-and-forth on the bridge and boats big and small traveled along the bay.

A little over an hour from this busy city is Muir Woods. I don’t think saying that it is a beautiful place quite gives it justice; however, it is BEAUTIFUL! It is a national monument surrounded by redwoods and streams of water. My friends and I walked through the paths where you could go hiking and fortunately for me there was a paved path that made it much easier for a wheelchair. One of my friends said it was amazing that this beautiful place was so close to the city, such stillness in the hustle and bustle. We decided to sit and take in the beauty instead of letting it pass us by so quickly.

It reminded me of the numerous times in scripture that Jesus withdrew from the crowds to spend time with the Father. In Luke 5:16 it says that “he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” Jesus was surrounded by great crowds of people wanting healing and to just hear him speak. However, no matter the amount of people that wanted to see Jesus, he knew he needed to spend time with his Father. Just before the guards came and arrested him, he left the disciples, “and he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed.”  Luke 22:41 ESV

It is hard for this extrovert to be alone. I LOVE to be with people! I get energy from being around people and love to be part of the busyness of life. However, God’s teaching me that in the quiet places He renews my strength. My dependency on Him grows stronger as I learn to rest in Him. My prayer for you is that you will learn to rest in Him as you find and create sacred in the busyness of your life.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28-30 MSG

"I Just Need U." by TobyMac