Finding Rest Where You Least Expect It
“Which meal do you want to clean up after today?” I ask each child as we attempt to settle into vacation mode.
Everyone knows breakfast is the preferred meal to clean up for obvious reasons. You may be wondering why we are cleaning anything at all on vacation, but it’s an all-hands on deck situation at our cabin in the woods, replicating the similar rhythms back home: each child has a meal to help cook, help clean, and help put away dishes.
Before your imagination runs wild with images of glamorous floor to ceiling windows overlooking layers of mountain edges and sturdy log columns upholding a sprawling A-frame while antlers adorn the broad rustic mantle, allow me to paint a picture of reality. Built by my grandparents 70+ years ago, our humble mountain retreat pushes 600 sq ft at most and is nestled in a shaded valley on an acre of land, at least two hours away from the nearest tourist destination.
Originally built without running water for my mom’s five siblings to retreat to from their home in Denver, the cabin now boasts one modest bathroom that we utilize with caution. Every aspect of the cabin was built by the hands, feet, and sweat of an extended family member. Now standing as a living museum and memorial to those who have gone before us, the cabin understandably offers a mix of comfort and grief to each of us.
My grandparents would not believe the modern appliances we now use like the electric tea kettle, electric mixer, and LED television. Plus, in an effort represent every decade, VHS movies still occupy the bookshelves if for no other reason than to provide a history lesson to our millennial children. Yet, much to all of our dismay, the cabin has never possessed a dishwasher.
Over the river and through the woods, the closest decent restaurant and grocery store is at least a 30 minute trek away. So, home-cooking, room-tidying, and laundry-piling for a family of six still remain even on vacation.
And yet, to us, it is heaven and the epitome of rest to each visiting member of our family.
Surprising me every summer, despite yard work, laundry, and cooking for six, we return to our regular lives rested, refreshed, and restored.
So, it has me thinking—maybe rest isn’t found in escaping the dull to-do’s of domestic life, but in saturating our hearts, minds, and bodies with the whispers of wonder in God’s creation. Maybe rest isn’t found in greater bank accounts, sprawling square footage, state of the art kitchens, or even a lack of worry.
Somehow in this tucked away cabin, our attention is more easily drawn away from the noise of constant activity with our focus fixed on organic wonders right in front of us: playing family games, building campfires, lingering meal times, driving mountain roads, adventuring Colorado offerings, hiking familiar trails, seeking stunning sunsets, and remembering to breathe.
What if we allowed the whispers of God’s wonders right in front of us today to invite us into a deeper focus of his glory and less on the noise of this world?
What if true rest wasn’t dependent upon our circumstances, but found right in the midst of His whispers of wonder?
Be encouraged. No matter your window view, your family vacation schedule, or your financial status, rest is waiting for you. God is eager to delight you.
Let’s fix our eyes on Him allowing the worries of the world to fade further away.
O soul are you weary and troubled
No light in the darkness you see
There's light for a look at the Savior
And life more abundant and freeTurn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of his glory and grace
- Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, song by Helen H. Lemmel(Consider listening to THIS VERSION performed by Shane and Shane)