Danny spoke about relationship with God & more specifically about a relational idiosyncrasy that I often fail to comprehend- resting in the Lord.
What does that even mean to rest in the Lord? Is it just one of those cliché statements that some Christians derived from excerpts of scripture & is now manipulated to fit into any context desired by the user? Or is it genuine? Is it a valid concept, a realistic notion? Can you truly rest in God? And if so, how is it done? What does it look like? These were the questions that ran through my mind as Danny spoke.
My mind often processes through analogies. If I do not understand an idea or a feeling, I compare it to one with which I can relate. That usually does the trick. So as Danny spoke, my mind began to attribute the familiar concept of relationships with friends to this foreign proposal of rest in God. My thought processes was as follows:
My thought continued as I pictured some of my favorite times with friends. These were not times of grand events or glamorous activity; but rather times when life was simply communal. In the same stream of consciousness, I drew myself farther into this analogy. I saw myself overlooking the ocean, a cup of steaming coffee in hand, I am silent. In the chair next to me, God is comfortably settled, His divine body wrapped up in a oversized blanket. The ocean wind is fierce & whipping through our hair- it is winter after all. The sky is the most serene sort of grey. Again, I am quiet. My lips utter no semblance of flattery. My mind does not hasten to instigate impressing conversation. Both of our heads are fixated forward, our attention commanded by the crashing waves. But from the corner of my eye, I see a faint yet undeniable smile form on the face of God. I know His expression reflects His heart. To an onlooker this moment may seem anything but extravagant; but, we know otherwise. The Lord is smiling on me. He is content in my silence. I am content in His presence. We are living life together, simply communing. We are reveling in His awe inspiring creation. We are in relationship. I am at rest.
This fictional scenario of the Lord changed my life. I’ve heard people say it & I’ve read all the scriptures about the insignificance of good works in the light of salvation; but, still, in the deepest parts of me, I have somehow always been scrambling to be good enough for the Lord. I have forever correlated spirituality or intimacy with God with those seemingly gleaming from impressive scriptural revelations or those who are in a perpetual state of Christian notoriety.
We are a people who feel the constant need to do. We take action because the fulfillment of those actions often defines our worth. But our God is different. Our relationship with God is different. We are not required to impress Him. And just like we can find peace in the presence of our closest friends, we can find peace & rest in God.
