Getting Away

T

here was once a young housewife who had experienced one of those weeks.  It had been Monday for five days straight and on this particular day, everything imaginable had gone wrong.  It started with the alarm clock not ringing at 6:00 a.m.  She awoke at 7:30 to a crying baby and a husband who was still snoozing with an 8:30 appointment with the boss looming over him.  The dog had decided to turn over the trash can in the kitchen, she burned the toast, and the hot water heater went on the blink again.  After this, her morning got progressively worse and by the time her husband came home and asked, "What's for dinner?" she was ready to blow her cool.  All she wanted was to get away.  She had this dream of getting into the car and driving until she ran out of gas; and she would have done this were it not for the fact that the car was in the garage with two flat tires and no gas in the tank!!

Wow what a day!  Nevertheless, I'm sure all of us can identify with this poor woman.  We've all had days, even weeks, when everything didn't go according to plan.  At times like this, we've all wanted to escape, to go somewhere quiet, a place where no one can find us, where the doorbell doesn't ring and the telemarketers can't reach us. 

The disciples experienced a time such as this.  Jesus had sent them out to teach and cast out evil spirits.  No doubt, they encountered days which were tiring and situations which were anything but pleasant.  There must have been times they were completely worn down and wanted to get away from it all.  When they returned and reported to Jesus all they had done, he said what had to be perhaps the most wonderful words they had heard in quite a while "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest" (Mark 6:31). 

Jesus knew exactly what they needed.  The Christian life can get too cumbersome and too filled with activity.  The disciples had been doing ministry, but even ministry gets in the way of our resting with God.  Notice that Jesus asks them to go away with him to a quiet place to rest.  Isn't this just like God?  Just when we can't go another step, when we can't take one more test, just at that moment he takes us to a quiet place. 

How long has it been since you visited a solitary place with God; a place where it was just you and he with nothing before you but time to rest?  God knows we are dust and he knows we need rest.  Rest is not laziness, it is restoration.  Today, if you are having another "Monday", listen to the voice of Jesus.  He is asking you to come away with him to a quiet, solitary place where you can rest.  Not only rest for your body and mind, but rest for your soul as well.  Can't you hear him saying, "Come unto me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest"?