We knew we were being obedient to God when we moved here. We had peace, joy, and excitement as we embarked on this journey. Looking back I realize that I had expectations of what the church would look like 6 years in. I expected it to be a thriving, self supporting ministry where my husband could work full time a a pastor while I was the loving, joyful and enthusiastic stay at home mother. Reading that last sentence I can't help but chuckle. Boy did I get that wrong.
Fast forward to the actual reality of the church 6 years later. We have a small, yet devoted, congregation of people. My husband is a part time pastor that still receives his salary from outside supporters. And me... well I am a loving, joyful and enthusiastic stay at home mom who always works part time to help support our family and allow my husband to focus on the church and this city that God has given him a heart to reach.
I don't always feel loving, joyful, and enthusiastic however. I have to CHOOSE to feel that way on days where I just want to throw in the towel. It's those days when I want my husband to find a normal 9-5 well paying job that he can close the door on at the end of the day. These are the moments when the exhaustion of the last 6 years really starts to set in.
I really believed that at this point in our ministry it would be easy. But then I am reminded that God never promised us it would be easy. He never promised we wouldn't get tired or discouraged or disappointed. He never promised I wouldn't get frustrated and angry at times. He actually promised that when I was feeling all of these things I could lean on HIM for support. He would always be there to help me CHOOSE joy. He would be there to lift me up and show me that He knows what he is doing. He reminds me that He actually did know that this is where we would be at this exact moment. And that He would help us through it.
Which brings me to the topic of rest. God's perfect design for our lives included a day of rest. It's the Sabbath. As a family in ministry it is hard to find time for Sabbath. What does that even look like when your week is gearing up for the weekend? We spend the week preparing for our gatherings, while most jobs spend the week working and then look forward to the weekend as a time of rest. Over the last 6 years we have quietly ignored the importance of a Sabbath rest.
This last week we were blessed with a week of rest. We were given a week away at a place called Genesee Home. A beautiful retreat location where we could leave everything behind and focus on just being restful. 5 days and 5 nights of no expectations placed upon us. No meals to be prepared, chores to be done, or toys to be put away. No TV's to watch or smart phones or computers to distract us.
If you are anything like me, this at first sounded a little bit like a nightmare. But I knew I needed rest and time away with my husband. So we kissed our kids goodbye and stepped out of our comfort zone and left. And it was the best!! In the beautiful setting of Genesee home, we met God together. We prayed together more than we ever had. We were quiet together and we talked together. We hiked together and even went on a 10 mile mountain bike ride together. We were refreshed and renewed and for possibly the first time in 6 years, we rested.
We learned that taking our Sabbath rest is the only way we are going to make it through this. We need rest or we will burn out and shrivel up. We are thrilled to practice the truths that God taught us in our during our time away in our everyday lives. If you, like us, find that rest seems impossible I encourage you to make the time. It may not be in a valley far away from home, but you can find rest with your children, with your spouse, and by yourself. It is imperative to our spiritual mental and physical health.
If you are a Pastor who is looking for a place of rest you should check out Genesee Home. You will be so glad you did! www.geneseehome.org
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