November Challenge: Day 8

Happy Sunday! Today I am thankful for a day of rest. After a long work week and a day of running errands my energy is spent and I am tired. Our fast paced world and culture has made the idea of taking a day of rest taboo. This morning I woke up and wasn't feeling well, mainly just worn down, but I honestly felt guilty that I wasn't jumping out of bed ready to accomplish another to-do list. There are so many things that I have to get done and even more to do in the next few weeks, months, etc. that it can be very overwhelming. The truth is that even when we are overwhelmed by our to-do lists that it is ok to take a day of rest. Don't believe me? Genesis 2:3 says that "then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done." If God rested on the seventh day then how much more do we need to rest? 

Rest is important to our health: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Rest allows us the opportunity to take care of our needs. It is important to balance our needs with the needs of others. If we spend too much time on others' needs then we become drained and are useless. If we spend too much time on our own needs then we prevent ourself from being used by God in the lives of the people around us. It is a delicate balance, but we need to strive to maintain it so that we can be of optimal use for the kingdom of God. Taking a day of rest is important. A few years ago I was working everyday, both at my office and at my church, and I was just drained. I didn't want to give up my work at the church, but I desperately needed a day of rest again. I ended up changing my work schedule so that I had Monday off, which gave me a day of rest again. Then my needs changed again and I worked within my schedule to ensure I kept my day of rest, this time on Sunday. In the Jewish faith the Sabbath is on Saturday, while in the Protestant faith the day of rest is on Sunday so there isn't a universally accepted day of rest. In a world that is constantly moving you might have to be creative with your schedule and find a day that works for you. 

Rest is important that is why God gave us a day to rest in our busy weeks. Today I am resting with a grateful heart that God gave me His day to just rest and take care of my needs. It is comforting to know that God has set aside this day for me and that I can take it without having to feel guilt. I a, thankful for Sunday and my day of rest. What are you thankful for today?

November Challenge: Day 2

This morning I woke up to rain and it was wonderful. Rain is without a doubt today's blessing. If you live in California than you understand exactly why rain is such a blessing. California has been in an awful drought for a few years now and our land is parched. Yes, we occasionally get rain, but we are not receiving nearly as much as we need. The entire state has had to ration water usage and our beautiful landscape has turned brown. This year even the smallest amount of rain has called me to sing God's praises, but today He blessed our land with lots of rain. All day it rained and quenched a thirsty land. 

California's drought reminds me of the spiritual drought many Christians face. We, as humans, have a tendency to believe that occasional participation or exposure to something makes us healthy. An occasional cleaning at the dentist guarantees our teeth are healthy or an occasional visit to the doctor means we won't become ill. This doesn't make it true, yet we convince ourselves that it is because this  "truth" makes us feel better. Christians sometimes have this same attitude toward spirituality. There is this belief that if you attend church weekly that you are spiritually healthy. Yet the truth is the occasional attending of a sermon, reading of scripture, or prayer does not make you spiritually healthy. Just like California needs a steady deliverance of rain, Christians need a continual exposure to those things which enrich their spiritual lives. We need the rain, we need the nourishment, to make and keep us healthy.

Today I have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful for the rain. I am thankful for the power of prayer. I am thankful for God's word. I am thankful for the church. I am thankful for devotionals. The thirst of the land and my soul are being quenched and I am grateful. What are you thankful for today?