Valerie Rae Hanneman
Genesis 2:2-3 “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (NIV)
Samee Myers told me the most unbelievable story one week at Bible study. For those of you who do not know Samee, she is the epitome of a woman after God’s own heart. Samee’s own heart is so tender and full of love that her tears accompany everything. Joy, sadness, Bible verses, prayers, people, songs, God’s love, I have seen Samee get teary eyed over all these and more. Samee’s soft heart is what makes this story so unbelievable.
Samee grew up on a small farm and one of her favorite things to do was to go with her father when he whacked the head off of a chicken or turkey. Her dad had this stump with two nails that he would use to stretch out the neck just before letting the hatchet fall. And Samee was right there beside him when it did. Somehow I cannot picture Samee in this situation without her crying her eyes out for the fowl, but she assures me she did it.
One time, when Samee was about 4, she rode her trike out to where a turkey was going to get it’s neck stretched between those two nails. The hatchet fell and the now headless turkey started flopping around. It flopped around in the direction of where Samee was sitting on her trike, so she quickly jumped off the trike and away from the turkey. Somehow the turkey flopped up on Samee’s trike and it and the trike started moving down the road much to Samee’s consternation. Can’t you just close your eyes and see it in your mind? That headless turkey riding Samee’s trike down the road as Samee screams to her dad, “It’s taking my trike! It’s taking my trike!” Her dad just had to be laughing because I laugh when I imagine it!
We live in such a busy world! If I am not at work than I am taking my kids to their school, sport or church activities. If I am not doing that than I am at Bible study, Care Fresno, choir practice, or church services. If I am not doing that then I am at the orthodontist with my son, grocery shopping, writing for the e-Ministry, having lunch with friends, going to doll club with my mom, or something. I love my life - I love the busyness and there is not anything that I do that I don’t love doing (well, except for the orthodontist). But every once in awhile, I get overwhelmed by it. I realize that I am so busy running around trying to accomplish everything for everybody that I wonder if I am really accomplishing anything for anybody. My plate is full - only my plate is the size of a platter
Do you ever feel that way? Life is so hurried, there is so much to do, and then suddenly you stop, take a look around, and ask, “What am I doing? I am running around like a turkey with it’s head cut off. ” And at just about that time a boss, a family member, or a ministry leader exclaims about how “you are absolutely perfect!” for their project - and because you feel a sense of obligation to them you take it on. Now you are a trike-riding turkey with it’s head cut off!
God doesn’t intend for our lives to be like that. From the very beginning, way back in the creation of everything, God took time off. For six days He created everything that there is and then on the seventh day He rested. He thinks that taking some time off is so important that in Genesis He declares the seventh day to be a holy day and on Mt. Sinai He made it part of the 10 commandments.
I can almost hear you thinking, “Sure, that’s great for God, but I am down here in the real world with stress, obligations and deadlines!” Just as a reminder, God was down here in the “real” world. He walked among His creation and endured first hand all that we go through. Jesus dealt with stress - He had those murderous Pharisee’s dogging His every footstep - trying to trick Him into breaking the law. Jesus dealt with obligations - He had to feed the 5,000 one day, heal lepers the next, then raise the widow’s son from the dead, answer His disciples questions, walk on the water, turn water into wine, get Zacchaeus out of that tree, and so on and so on and so on. And we have never faced a deadline like the one that Jesus faced. He knew that every day brought Him one day closer to His deadline - a meeting with a cross and nails. But Jesus knew the importance of “down time.” Throughout the Gospels we read of Him going off by Himself to spend time in prayer with His Father. Or we see Him and His disciples withdrawing from the crowds that followed Him for some quiet time.
We are called to be followers of Jesus, to strive daily to be more like Him - so give it a rest.
If we work ourselves into a headless, flopping frenzy because of our job, our ministries, our family or a combination of the three - then we are out of God’s will. He wants us to take time to rest and renew because He knows that the exhaustion of trying to be everything for everybody is going to kill us.
Read a book, watch a movie, take a long walk, do whatever is necessary to get some down time. And when that boss, family member, ministry leader tells you all about that task, project or ministry opportunity that is just “perfect” for you don’t let your sense of obligation outweigh your common sense. Practice these words “Thank you for thinking of me but my answer is no.” and don’t back down.
Be like God and take a day to rest.
Father God, if You, Who are all-powerful, took a day off when You were done creating the universe, then I need to take a day off too. Help me to answer the call and not the need. Help me to prioritize my projects and do only that which You have called me to do. Remind me that “no” is a word I can use.
Subscribe to the Fresno First e-Ministries or contact Valerie at valerie@fresnofirst.org.