After spending a week in
the hospital while doctors ran tests to see if my chest pain was related to my
heart or my lungs, I had lots of time to sit and think about life. When Pastor Wilcox visited, he asked me if I
had thought about what God might be trying to tell me during this time.
Well, I thought a lot
about relationships. My aunt had
recently passed away and it reminded me that we are not guaranteed
tomorrow. I really wanted to mend some
broken and strained relationships and I thought hard about how to do so and I
asked God to guide me. I also praised
God for the many close relationships that I do have, especially for all of my
family and friends at church who reached out and supported me through prayer
while I was in the hospital.
With so many people
praying for me, I realized that I was spending a lot of time in prayer
also. I prayed fervently for my health
and asked God for healing and comfort. I
was appreciative of the prayers my friends and family were making on my
behalf. And when Pastor visited, we
prayed together as well.
When I returned to church
on Sunday, it was like Pastor Garrett’s message was just for me! He preached on Hebrews 4 and the cycle of
rest. I liked what he said about how we
think of rest as completely stopping, but in reality, Hebrews 4 tells us that
we need to disengage from the world and then we will find God’s rest when we
read His word and engage in His ways.
Pastor Wilcox preached
about the Sabbath (Deuteronomy 5:12-15) earlier in August and reminded us that
we need to pray and play on the Sabbath.
We should worship God through prayer and also build relationships
through play and celebration. Sabbath is
time to be refreshed. He also said that
the Sabbath reminds us who is in charge and of our many blessings.
So, what was God trying
to teach me while I was “resting” in the hospital? I think He wanted me to slow my life down and
spend more time praying and reading His word.
I think He also wanted me to take time to appreciate the relationships I
had and to spend time mending the ones that were not being tended to. That’s exactly what we’ve been learning about
all month during the Rhythms of Rest series.
So, I encourage you all
to take time out of your busy lives to spend with God. Take time to spend with the ones you
love. And take time to physically slow
down from the craziness of life to appreciate the many blessings that God has
given you.
And yes, I was blessed
with God’s healing touch, so thank you for your many prayers on my behalf.
by Tracey Renae
