REST
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” - Matthew 11:28-30
This year posed many challenges for us - as individuals, as families, and as communities around the world. In this pandemic, it reminded me of how our lives could change in a heartbeat. There have been days where the problems of this hurting world muted my hope and amplified my anxieties. I saw how joy could turn to pain and how pain can also give way to joy. I learned how to hold grief and gratitude simultaneously in both hands.
I do not yet have words for what is happening in our country, but I do know that when I cannot find the words, I pray without them - knees, silence, heart, and breath. I am learning to give myself grace each day and practice the sacrament of non-doing, emptying myself in God’s presence to strengthen me, allowing the hinges of my jaw to release, and admitting my needs to Him. In today’s gospel, God draws us closer in this wintered time, nestles us near to His heart, breathes strength to our bones, and assures us that we are growing wings under the frozen land of our desolate and empty self. He invites us to listen to the seed hidden in the earth, the darkness swallowing up the light, the faith rising out of doubt, and the need to believe without seeing. God nudges us to stay as long as we need to listen to the trust buried deep in the ground of our being until re-birthing to occur this Advent.
Lord, speak gently in my silence. Help me to trust that you are still there even when I am unable to hear You. Guide my weary spirit to return to Your love.
Tam Lontok