Receive

the REST of the week #131

It’s the rest of the week and it’s OK to rest and receive.

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

I’m on a retreat this weekend with a group of women connected to ministry and I’ve been reminded over and over again of how hard it can be to receive—particularly when we have a strong desire make a difference, serve, and love well.

We know God is love and we want to be like him, but it’s easy to forget that:

"We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19)

We don't need peer reviewed journal articles or complex theological arguments to prove that loving comes easier when we know we're loved. 

So maybe we can rest from the whole "loving better" burden and, instead, pray:

"Help me to receive love."

Perhaps one actionable step in that direction might be to notice love in the world around us, to notice the way love enters our moments and to reach out and take it into our hearts with thanks.

What are some ways that love hovers near you?

In the laughter of someone listening to your funny story?

The attention of someone who holds your disappointment?

A compliment that demonstrates you are seen and appreciated?

An expected or unexpected text, card, or gift?

The adoration of a pet?

Beauty that tugs at your heart in ways hard to explain (artfully arranged food, flowers, stars, waterfalls, birds...)?

A meal shared in good company?

A circle of people, resisting the cold to share their hopes and desires with each other and with God?

May you rest and receive and may your rest be sweet.

Alicia