No Surpirse

In reading a book written by Darryl Tippens today (“Pilgrim Heart…The Way of Jesus in Everyday Life”), I was drawn to the old hymn written by John Greenleaf Whittier in the later 1800’s.  It’s always been a favorite of mine.  I’ll give you the two verses that are most pertinent to my blog today.

Dear Lord and Father of mankind, forgive our foolish ways;
reclothe us in our rightful mind, in purer lives thy service find,
in deeper reverence, praise.

Drop thy still dews of quietness, till all our strivings cease;
take from our souls the strain and stress, and let our ordered lives confess
the beauty of thy peace.

Tippens was talking in the chapter I read about the Sabbath rest and how much it is needed even in our modern culture.  No, he’s not talking about some rigid following of rules regarding how far we can walk or whether we can bake bread or not.  He’s not even talking about Sunday as opposed to other days of the week.

He’s saying that we all need to take a break…to slow down…to contemplate, pray, meditate, and think.  Whether we do that in 10 minute increments during a busy day, or whether we take an entire day or afternoon, we need the rest and refreshment that comes from a Sabbath.

Most of us are defined by our work and by how productive we are at our work.  When we are introduced to someone for the first time, following their name we usually want to know their occupation or former occupation (if retired).  And if you’ve been out of work for any time at all, you know that you feel a little disjointed when meeting someone because you have no occupation to give.

We also are defined by our productivity.  Perhaps you were responsible for the building of a hospital, or you constructed something of importance.  Maybe you created a non-profit organization or you developed a working method of service to others.  You might be someone who has written a popular piece of music or you’ve been part of a renowned choir or orchestra.  Perhaps you have taught hundreds of 4^th grade students and have seen many of them go on to be a great success in life.  You may have developed a new procedure in heart surgery or created a new mode of transportation.  Whatever, the list is endless, and we are all defined by what we do and what we’ve done in life.

“But”, says Whittier, “Forgive our foolish ways.  Reclothe us in our rightful minds.  Take from our souls the strain and stress.  Let our ordered lives confess the beauty of Thy peace.”

How incredibly awesome are these words!  I can feel the stress melting away just repeating these lines in my head…and I love to sing them aloud!  I’m beginning to know the beauty of the peace of God in letting up, letting go, and quieting down.  I’m finding times and ways to have a Sabbath during the days and during the evenings.  And I am becoming more calm and serene as a result.  Things that seem to delay me in life don’t seem to bother me as much as before.  People that get in the way don’t seem to evoke the kind of emotions that used to come over me.

I have a long way to go.  I still treat driving in traffic as a game of “Who can be first?” more often than I would like.  I still get perturbed in the checkout line when the lady gets out her checkbook (yes they still have those things) and begins writing AFTER all has been checked.  And I still consider myself defined by my vocation and not by who I am and by Whose I am.  As I said, I have a long way to go.

But with time and the grace of God, I will get there.  There will come a time when I will have no choice but to be quiet, to wait, and to slow down.  I don’t want that to come as a shock and surprise.