REST

It is now only 3 days until my departure for India. Two more nights of sleeping in my own bed. Packing has commenced and I am in a consistent state of anxiousness. (Not to be confused with anxiety.) I fall asleep at night thinking about what last-minute items I might need to buy before I zip up my suitcase and trying to imagine the faces of some of my future friends at the school we'll be working with in New Delhi. I can't imagine what God has in store for me and the other nine people going on this trip, but whatever it is, it's going to be soooooo good!

A few weeks ago, I started a walk/jog program called "couch to 5k." The program consists of 3 workouts per week (so far, each week has 3 identical walk/jog combos), working up eventually to running 5k in 30 minutes. Monday, I set out to complete day 2 of a week I started on Saturday. I figured it would be easy enough since I'd completely the exact same workout just two days prior (plus a little extra, as I was feeling quite ambitious on Saturday). It was not easy enough. It was not easy at all. I felt worse than week 1 day 1. Literally the only thing that got me through the final stretch of jogging was chanting, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me; Christ is my strength" over and over for 3 straight minutes. It was brutal. (And for most of you, it would have been a literal walk in the park.)

While I was walk/jogging, I couldn't help but wonder what in the world was the problem. Why was this such a struggle for me today? My theory? I haven't been getting enough rest. I always notice a dramatic decrease in my endurance when I haven't been getting enough sleep at night. For some reason (chalk it up to the excitement of a pending trip that just might change my life forever?), I have recently been acting a bit like I think I'm back in college again and can survive on 4-5 hours of sleep a night. I can't. Not really...not if I want to be able to exercise, be productive at work, drive safely, be fully present in my relationships, etc.)

One of the ways that God has helped me to avoid legalism is by reminding me of the reasons he asks us to do certain things and not to do certain things. I hold a firm belief that God never gave a command just for the sake of having a rule. I think he gives us commandments because he desires full, satisfied lives for us and he knows the perfect formula for a life that is meaningful, full of joy, rich with relationships, and generally uncomplicated. So, when he gave us the Sabbath - a day of rest - it wasn't because he wanted us to get all crazy an legalistic about whether or not to buy milk or mow the lawn on Sundays. It was because he knew how very valuable REST is for our bodies and souls.

I've been thinking about how getting enough rest (taking Sabbath) will play into my time in India. It's so important that while I busily prepare, I don't forget to make it a priority go to bed at a reasonable hour and get a few good night's rest. My physical body needs to be well rested for the endurance I'm going to need to get through 2 days of travel, a significant time-change, and the potential for heat exhaustion. More importantly, though, I cannot forget to stop all the busyness and sneak away for a few moments' Sabbath each day, to remember that God is God and that even if I forget to pack _____________ (so many possibilities:)), he is up to something BIGGER. AND...he has invited me to be a part of that!

Will you pray for me and for the rest of the team going to India? Pray that somehow in the schedule of preparing for this trip and in all the details of our time in India that we are able to find Sabbath...to get enough rest in our bodies and in our spirits so that we are sharp, alert, ready, and able to move forward into whatever God has for us in the next two weeks!