I can’t remember if I’ve shared this here, but we are going to be a homeschooling family again in the fall. Actually, given the nature of homeschooling, we are already starting in small ways (shh, don’t tell my kids). As part of getting my brain back into full time “homeschooler” mode, I’ve been catching up with Sarah Mackenzie at the Read Aloud Revival. While originally a podcast about how enriching and life-giving reading aloud as a family can be, the podcast has grown and evolved to also include homeschool coaching and community. It is full of such good content, if you are a homeschooler or thinking about it I highly recommend Sarah’s stuff. Even if you aren’t, consider listening to an episode or two about the benefits and joys of reading aloud as a family. We love it!
In a recent episode (disclaimer, I am a premium member, meaning I pay a yearly fee for additional content, and the episode I’m referring to comes from that content so I cannot link it for you) Sarah talked about this week’s Gospel passage. She highlighted the section where Jesus says:
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
Matthew 11:28
and I will give you rest.
In the context of homeschooling, it can be very hard to decide when the school year is officially “done.” As the parent and teacher, you get the freedom and burden of deciding when enough is enough. This is a tricky thing and it can be so easy to get lost in the doubts of, “Have we done enough?” What if the math book wasn’t finished? What if we never got to these planned projects? Have we worked hard enough to earn our summer break, our time of rest?
Sarah nips these ideas in the bud with the above passage. Homeschooling considerations aside and thinking about the larger context of our lives as God has given them to us, Jesus is saying that rest is a gift. He doesn’t say, “After you’ve completed your work you can rest.” He doesn’t even say, “In exchange for a certain amount of work, you can rest.” Quite the opposite. Jesus recognizes how labored people are as we struggle with daily life. Many of the struggles we have come as a result of sin in the world. We are a burdened people. In compassion, Jesus extends the gift of rest.
The thing is, the rest Jesus offers doesn’t necessarily line up with how the world views rest. Jesus’ rest doesn’t necessarily include sleeping until 11am, a round of golf, vegging in front of the tv, being about to watch a full YouTube video without being interrupted, or a vacation to a resort in the Bahamas.
When God created the world, He concluded by establishing the Sabbath. The Sabbath was to be a day of rest. It was a day of refraining from daily work so that the most important thing could be tended to – the Israelite people’s relationship with God. The Sabbath was set aside as a day of prayer and worship. Contrary to many sporting schedules, Sunday continues to be a day of rest, the day we come together as a community to worship and praise God. We find true rest for our souls when we rest in God. Jesus says this today. “Come to me…and I will give you rest.”
Here are a few examples of how to rest with God that I have found rejuvenating at various points in my life:
- Taking a walk, even if it isn’t by yourself.
- Adoration (even 5 minutes, even if you have a toddler with you)
- Daily Mass
- Listening to Christian or uplifting music, especially during a chore you don’t enjoy
- Making food for others
- Sharing with someone how God spoke to you today
- Driving without the radio or a podcast on
To rest well with God doesn’t necessarily mean ceasing all activity. It is about how you approach that activity. Are you cooking/cleaning/working because of your desire to love God and the people He has placed in your life? Are you intentionally making time for quiet? God desires to be part of each moment of our day. Are you inviting Him into them so He can share your burden and lighten your load? Jesus promised He would if we unite ourselves to Him.
If you’d like to learn more about resting in God, check out this article by Fr. Billy Swan from Word on Fire Ministries. He references today’s passage, as well as others, while exploring how to rest well in God’s presence.
Daily Graces 