Rest and Relax
Author: Pat Aman
May 19, 2021 © “Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals”
Luke 6: 12-13, “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles.”
I have two seasons I enjoy which includes Summer and Fall.
I know if our family is sitting around in the summer, we may decide to get in the car and ride down to the Topsail Beach.
Joe and my honeymoon ended at Topsail Beach at the cottage his parents owned. We got married in Louisiana and then went to Disney World, Sea World and Silver Spring, Florida, and back to North Carolina. So that area of North Carolina has a lot of memories for us.
Our family has spent many summers enjoying Topsail Beach, Southport and Sneeds Ferry.
We may only get out of the car on these day excursions if we decide to ride the ferry from Fort Fisher to South Port, take a short walk on the beach, are to eat at our favorite restaurant at Sneeds Ferry, “The Riverview”.
Extra note: “The Riverview is the first restaurant my husband Joe of 44 years had our first date.”
Even though we are in the car riding and sightseeing, it is still relaxing.
And in the Fall we always go to the Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains.
And I love The Mast General Store. I can walk thru it every year and feel the days of years gone by.
But, we just have a lot of fun, and rest and relax.
Hummm, relax? Why do we only take time to really relax during those certain seasons of our life? We need to take the time to relax everyday.
But with life,family, friends, jobs, and careers, resting and relaxing seems can only happen twice a year. Maybe more times in the summer on weekends.
We all would be healthier and happier if we took time to rest and relax.
And really who can call a vacation resting and relaxing? You usually have to come home to rest and relax from vacation.
Hey a thought: “And Jesus, while ministering here on earth, even took time to rest and relax.
Let’s see what Mr. Webster has to say about rest and relax.
Rest: to cease work or movement in order to relax, refresh oneself, or recover strength.
Relax: to become or to cause (something) to become less tense, tight, or stiff : to stop feeling nervous or worried.
In today’s society we get so caught up that we do not take the time to enjoy life with family and friends. And even the most important is we do not take the time to spend moments with our Father God.
What if, when we set aside the distractions of our day to see God’s beauty all around us that we hadn’t noticed before?
I actually did this today. “Not really meaning too,” (more to this statement at a future time)but I spent about three hours in the back yard looking at the trees, flowers, birds, and children in the neighborhood playing. I heard the sounds of Nature not only with my ears, but with my eyes and heart.
While I was listening, Father God even miraculously let me hear the sound from my Bayou home. Frogs croaking, crickets chirping, and the sound of water flowing.
Was this Father’s God’s way of bringing me back to Him and taking me out of the business and craziness of the last 17 months of chaos?
Whatever the reason, my Father God loved me enough to put His foot down and say, “Pat, my daughter, Stop, relax and rest. Spent this time in fellowship with me.
He let me know that the distractions of this world should not stop and overwhelmed me.
My Father God reminded me-
Pat, Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:4-5
Yes, He reminded me to relax and rest in His loving tender arms.
“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest (and relax) in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”
Psalms 91:1-4
Devotion Written By: Pastor Pat Aman Book © 1996/2021 “Coffee With Pat Daily Devotionals” “Coffee With A Little Spice Of Life” and Westbow Press a division of Thomas Nelson and Library of Congress Control Number: 2018910976……….
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