Pace

Ahh, summer! The kids are out of school, the pools are teeming with people, and the smell of sunscreen is in the air. People are officially switching gears to Summer Mode.

As Executive and Administrative Assistants, though, our work doesn’t stop just because the temperatures are rising. Ministry continues to happen 24/7 with camps, retreats, picnics, and practical needs in our community. We might not have an all-out vacation pace during the summer months, but we do have a different pace. 

Embracing that difference can feel clunky and lead to misplaced enthusiasm to fill the calendar with new projects or strategy meetings to launch strong in the fall. Don’t misunderstand me, while strategizing is a very good and necessary practice, so is rest! In fact, if we don’t take time to rest when the opportunities present themselves, we will find ourselves with nothing to give when the fuller season arrives. And knowing the tendencies of most Assistants to go, go, go, I think it is actually strategic to acknowledge the importance of pausing and embracing a differently paced season. Apparently, it doesn’t always come naturally to us!

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, day and night will never cease.
Genesis 8:22

There will always be something more to do; we are never fully finished with our work. And with our creative and proactive minds, we typically dig up something that needs our attention on the rare occurrence that there is a lull in the day. The Lord has invited us into His work – what a blessing! But He never intended it to consume us. In fact, He designed us to include rest in the daily, weekly, and yearly rhythms of life. We are not designed for work or rest; we are designed for work and rest.

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,
just as God did from his.
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest,
so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:9-11

I am one of those people to whom this does not come naturally. Somewhere along the line I learned the unhealthy, dare I say unholy, rhythm of no rhythm. I learned to go, press, and push myself right past any healthy versions of perseverance and straight into sickness. As I began to listen to the Lord about this, it became increasingly obvious that treating myself, a creation of Almighty God, in this abusive way was actually sinful. Imagine my sadness when I realized that the very actions I thought were honoring to the Lord – hard work and discipline – were causing Him grief because I was not including the action of rest.

Following my vacation last week, it was this train of thought that prompted my prayer points for us this week:

• That we would see the Lord’s graciousness to us.
• That we would recognize opportunities to rest and take them without guilt or attempt to fill them.
• That we would reach the end of our ministry day and be grateful, pleased, and rewarded with what our Father has entrusted to us for that day.
• That we would be present with those in front of us – fully embracing the holiness of the moment.
• That we would place our faith in our Father and trust that the results He brings are within His good plan for us and those we love.

Maybe you have learned the life-filled rhythm of working hard and resting well. Maybe this isn’t a struggle for you. I praise God for that! Or perhaps like me, you are still finding your way through the clunky balance of it all. I praise God for that too! The beautiful thing about being His beloved creation is His presence with us. As the Lord walks with us through the discovery of life-giving rhythms, He is faithful to complete what He has started. He does it for our good and His glory.

So keep your eyes open for opportunities for coffee with a friend, an evening walk, or leisurely morning. Pause at the end of your workday and thank God for all that He accomplished through you that day. Watch the sun set. Write a letter. Smell the flowers. Paint a picture. Blow bubbles. Laugh. Each moment we take to include rest in our day is a moment that makes our Father smile. 

You are adored.