sanctuary

endless running

One of my favourite memories of the Lord’s sweet provision is from a time when the holidays were approaching and I was determined to have all my work completed so that I could have a few weeks of total rest. Ah … How many times have I entertained this thought of If I can just get X out of the way, then I can rest. But is this how it is meant to be?

As the week drew to a close and my self-imposed deadline loomed nearer, my stress level continually rose. Friday arrived and I greeted it with tears. I had one day left to finish everything on a still very long list of to-dos. How was I ever going to get it done so that I could enjoy the holidays? I dropped the children off at daycare and went quickly home. Everything ground to a halt. I felt like a giant ball of panic. What happened next was so simple, but I will never forget it.

I cried out to the Lord, and He helped me. (see Psalm 18:6, Psalm 120:1)

All I needed was to give it all to Him.

a posture of trust

I recalled some practical advice I’d been given: if you can’t fit everything into a day, well, some of it just isn’t meant to get done. So, I took a breath. I gave all my desires to the Lord, as well as my stress, and He took it. The rest of the day proceeded smoothly. Not only did it turn out to be a relaxing day of work, but I did indeed manage to get everything on the list completed. It felt like a miracle! I realized that even if I had not gotten through my checklist, I would not have been frantic. I came to His rest because I had chosen to put my trust in the Lord rather than trusting in myself to get things done.

Can there be rest without trust? When worry is present am I trusting?

I love this passage from Psalm 27:4-5 ESV:

One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.

Doesn’t this call to mind the word sanctuary? A holy place. A place of refuge. Somewhere there is nothing to worry over even when worry knocks at the door. And we have this place of Holy rest right here within us. When we are busy like Martha, worrying over many things, Jesus invites us to be Mary sitting at his feet instead. Waiting. Seeking.

It is a heart posture.

seeking stillness

These days my to-do list is just as long as ever. My current work is in my home alongside my children. I am constantly moving, rarely sitting, often thinking about what needs to be done next. Now, though, I have learned to pursue quiet moments with the Lord early in the morning, and I am learning little by little to bring that stillness with me as I go about the day. Like David, I long to seek after the dwelling place of the Lord at all times. To seek His stillness, amid busyness; His rest amid chores; His sanctuary amid battle.  

This means a constant surrendering of worry, frustration, and perfection to give place to trust. It means setting all else aside but God’s perfect will.  Every day may I seek Him—and seek to trust Him—no matter what that day may look like.

All the days of my life I want to behold the beauty of God: to reside at His side while I’m washing dishes, to rest in the shelter of His presence as I face unknowns, to be at peace even when the enemy rages at the gates. 

The Lord is my sanctuary; I am at rest.