One of my friends posted on Facebook today: "2012 is halfway over." To which I commented: "Shut your face."
It's July! Whaaa??
Thank God that it is summer and I finally have some time to rest and reflect since this year is speeding by! (though in reality, I haven't really chosen to do much of either yet :-/)
Summer came in with a vengeance. You may remember the great heat debacle of 2011 in which my old "jinger house" had none. Well, this past weekend, DC experienced the opposite of the widespread winter power outage, and succumbed to a terrible thunderstorm which left hundreds of thousands of us powerless in 105+ degree heat.
Much like the winter of a year or so ago, my new roommates and I looked at each other (when we realized we were out of power) and then said "see ya!" and went to find shelter (and AC) our separate ways.
This will now be tied into my topic of "rest." ( I know this is a terrible thesis statement, but...)
Today's Gospel from Matthew is one that includes some of Jesus' perplexing puzzle-speak:
"When Jesus saw a crowd around him,
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
"Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
Foxes and birds and whhaa? Come again? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
But yesterday, as I sought shelter and a decent wi-fi connection (#firstworldproblems) I was also like a bird without a nest or whatever.
Enter one of my fabulous friends who came through for me and offered me to stay at her air-conditioned place complete with WORKING FRIDGE (to chill our Chardonnay! Teachers drink alot when not in school, y'all...)
So when I read the Gospel reading for today I thought of how our loved ones- people who truly love us- offer us "places of rest" when needed. Whether this be physically as was the case for me the other day, or metaphorically when we are stressed and need a mental break- people who love us offer us a "place to rest."
One of the ways we can interpret this Gospel passage- in light of what I've just indicated about love and rest- is that Christ wants to "rest" in OUR love. He wants the place to "rest his head" to be within US.
Love and rest. I think they go together. And I'm down for some of both!
I met with my spiritual director this week (after some coercion into doing manual labor, but that is neither here nor there...) and he also helped me focus on this idea of love and rest. He decided I didn't need any kind of tasks or any particular devotions at this time in my life (AMEN!). But just time to pray about having confidence in God's love for me just as is. Where I am. Right now.
And where I am is kind of all over the place this month (going to LA tomorrow!) but all the more reason to just rest in love and prayer.
Hope you are able to rest some this summer! Stay cool! (and not in that yearbook "stay sweet/cool" kind of way. You know what I mean...)
Peace,
Julia
It's July! Whaaa??
Thank God that it is summer and I finally have some time to rest and reflect since this year is speeding by! (though in reality, I haven't really chosen to do much of either yet :-/)
Summer came in with a vengeance. You may remember the great heat debacle of 2011 in which my old "jinger house" had none. Well, this past weekend, DC experienced the opposite of the widespread winter power outage, and succumbed to a terrible thunderstorm which left hundreds of thousands of us powerless in 105+ degree heat.
Much like the winter of a year or so ago, my new roommates and I looked at each other (when we realized we were out of power) and then said "see ya!" and went to find shelter (and AC) our separate ways.
This will now be tied into my topic of "rest." ( I know this is a terrible thesis statement, but...)
Today's Gospel from Matthew is one that includes some of Jesus' perplexing puzzle-speak:
"When Jesus saw a crowd around him,
he gave orders to cross to the other shore.
A scribe approached and said to him,
"Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,
but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."
Foxes and birds and whhaa? Come again? WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
But yesterday, as I sought shelter and a decent wi-fi connection (#firstworldproblems) I was also like a bird without a nest or whatever.
Enter one of my fabulous friends who came through for me and offered me to stay at her air-conditioned place complete with WORKING FRIDGE (to chill our Chardonnay! Teachers drink alot when not in school, y'all...)
So when I read the Gospel reading for today I thought of how our loved ones- people who truly love us- offer us "places of rest" when needed. Whether this be physically as was the case for me the other day, or metaphorically when we are stressed and need a mental break- people who love us offer us a "place to rest."
One of the ways we can interpret this Gospel passage- in light of what I've just indicated about love and rest- is that Christ wants to "rest" in OUR love. He wants the place to "rest his head" to be within US.
Love and rest. I think they go together. And I'm down for some of both!
I met with my spiritual director this week (after some coercion into doing manual labor, but that is neither here nor there...) and he also helped me focus on this idea of love and rest. He decided I didn't need any kind of tasks or any particular devotions at this time in my life (AMEN!). But just time to pray about having confidence in God's love for me just as is. Where I am. Right now.
And where I am is kind of all over the place this month (going to LA tomorrow!) but all the more reason to just rest in love and prayer.
Hope you are able to rest some this summer! Stay cool! (and not in that yearbook "stay sweet/cool" kind of way. You know what I mean...)
Peace,
Julia
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