Transitions

I have hated change since I was a little kid. I cried when my parents painted my dresser a different color. Even though it was my idea.

This semester, I have been preparing to study abroad in Cairo, Egypt. Instead of bristling at the upcoming transition, I have surprisingly embraced it. Although this was a welcome response to it all, I think it points to something deeper: my need for rest.

In times of transition, it is the people and places in my life that carry me through it all. Their consistency and care is what launches me into the new season. I have experienced this so much in the last few weeks. I was overwhelmed by the amount of people that I am going to miss while I'm in Cairo this spring. Goodbyes were sweet, but hard. I got to stop at one of my favorite homes and got preached over by my friend Beth. And then I got a seventeen hour car ride with my mom, sister, and aunt. 

All of these moments have been encouraging to me. However, they do not rid me of my need for rest. This need is holistic: my mind, body, and soul meet in exhaustion. And it's not the type of need that can be met by a few naps, chats with good friends, or reading a good book. I am realizing my need for rest can be fulfilled by God alone.

As we enter the final week of the season of Advent, we continue to wait for the coming of Christ. This Christ is both fully God and fully man. He is the perfect example of how to be human. Instead of being sick of being human, I want to be someone who is fully human. I want to rest the way Jesus did.

Jesus rested his soul in Gods presence.

As the hour of his betrayal approached, Jesus spent time in the garden of Gethsemane. Although he was overcome with sadness and exhaustion, and God wasn't going to change His plan, He spent these hours in the presence of his Father because that was where He could find rest and sustenance for his soul.

Jesus' body rested in God's peace that passes all understanding. 

When Jesus was out on the lake with his disciples, he feel asleep. When a storm arose, his disciples became angry with him because he was able to rest in such crazy conditions. However, what they didn't realize is that the conditions didn't matter as much as peace of God that Jesus carried.

Jesus' mind rested in God's truths.
When Jesus was questioned and challenged by his listeners, he didn't panic or try to make up an answer just to sound perfect. Instead, he used the words of scripture and the words of his Father to respond. Jesus didn't just have personal and emotional familiarity with God, but also was intellectually soaked in God's truth. Growing up as a Jew in the early first century, Jesus was educated in the Jewish Torah and the wisdom writings of the Jewish people.

As I prepare this winter for my next adventure in Cairo, I want to do it holistically by resting in the presence, peace, and truth of my Father. I have recently been reading A.W. Tozer's book The Pursuit of God for my devotional. In it, he quotes John Wesley who talks about the difference between a right opinion of God versus a right approach and attitude towards God. Tozer wants to encourage his readers to not just settle for a life of religious tasks and habits, but to choose to pursue God's presence for its own sake. In this time of transition, this is what I want to carry me through it all.

A mandarin orange at an orange stand in Fillmore. Like this orange, transitions in my life are often sweetly acidic.

My travel buddies. <3

It is so comforting to be in a place that feels familiar. I'm thankful to have Beth's home be one of those places for me where God's truths are everywhere-- couch talks, the dinner table, and even the shower.