"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enought to suit me." C.S. LewisStart with English Breakfast, Darjeeling, Earl Grey or Irish Breakfast. Steep 3-5 minutes. Serve with caffeine intact and with real milk and sugar.
Next sit down with a good book or a good friend. Enjoy your solitude or your conversation. Like a good cup of tea neither is rushed.
Jesus not only knew the importance of rest he modeled it. Although it is doubtful he sat down with his disciples over a steaming cup of tea the scriptures declare he sat around a fire eating fish with his friends. Personally I prefer tea. But it’s not the menu but the company that counts; it’s not the setting but who you’re sitting with.
It is easy to fill our days with the work and sometimes the worry that inevitably accompanies it. But if we don’t intentionally take a break or as Jesus says “take his yoke” then we will not find the rest that is required of us.
Rest is a command and a gift from the Lord. God rested on the seventh day after creation and commands his creation to do the same. Jesus says, “Come to me... and I will give you rest.” We honor the Lord with our work and with our rest.
At New Vision City of Refuge we are modeling for our kids the necessity of hard work but also the importance of rest. There is a time to do school work and chores and there is a time to relax and hang out.
Alas, the hour grows late, the kettle is whistling, and it’s time for me to take my own advice. So grab yourself a cup of tea, call a friend and do what Jesus did. Rest.
