Rest

Eight years ago, we stumbled upon these enchanting gardens.

Amazingly, each stone and gate was originally part of a beautiful estate in Spain. 

Piece by piece, stone by stone, column by column, each hedge, wall, and alcove was

numbered, shipped across the sea, and pieced back together

an exact reconstruction of the spanish grandeur here in the states. 

Ironically, this quiet, romantic, hidden-garden is located just a few miles north

of South Beach, Miami ... one of the craziest, most frenetic, never-sleeps cities in the US. 

A tiny piece of paradise and retreat just a small hike away from chaos? 

*

The Lord knows that I, too, so quickly become that city of chaos

moving at pace that becomes my second nature

It is untamed, competitive, overdriven, overdone,

ignorant of the eternal, focused on the temporal

busy, shallow-breathed, anxiety-driven, fast road to ruin.

It is a grip on the here and now

order, organization, tidy compartmentalization, 

day and night striving, doing, planning, accomplishing, serving

It is pleasing others, pleasing self, pleasing everyone

but Him. 

It is sin. 

*

I am called to have but One Master

and it cannot be Productivity, Service, Pleasing Others, Order, or Accomplishment

And yet He knew my propensity to sin this way 

before I even became swallowed whole by lists and tasks and doing!

Oh, tender patient God who ordained the Sabbath for my good

teach and re-teach me the beauty of Sabbath-Keeping

a time to let my pace be ordered by You

my steps be slowed by You

my anxieties dissolve as I sink into Your mercies

*

That sweet-smelling peaceful garden lures me in

I know that is where you made me to dwell and belong 

and yet, my flesh pulls me back toward the city of never-stopping

I sank to my knees and asked you to take whatever You want from my life

just so I can have more of You, Your peace flowing through me

not neatly boxed up in its place, but flowing forcefully through it all

breaking up each compartment and boxed-up memory, plan, emotion, idea

I know you have taken my garden apart and are rebuilding it piece by piece

and as You do, reminding me that this is no place for worldly striving

Instead, a quiet alcove to choose and be satisfied by

the "better way" {as Mary knew to do} 

and just be with You, waiting for You, watching You work,

all Yours.

*

You've called me to, please help me to be ...

Quiet - enough to hear Your whispers loud to my heart.

Still - enough for You to make my mind Your still waters

Rest - long and slow soaking in Truth, disabled and held by You

*