My last post in the RELAX series is about physical rest. In today’s society of fast food, drive thru-pharmacies, 24-hour ATM machines, microwaves and social media, our mind and bodies are constantly on the go, leaving no time for rest.
People are plugged into their smart phones 24/7. How many times have you seen people walk down the street texting on their phone and almost run you over? My daughter told of a story where she saw a girl walk smack into a revolving door while texting and have to be taken by stretcher into the hospital she was visiting!! I can just imagine, ER Doctor says “How did this happen?” Sheepishly the patient says, “I just looked down at my phone for a second. I didn’t realize the revolving door was so close!”
We get aggravated when the microwave doesn’t cook fast enough. We carpool to work with people we don’t know just so we can go in the “carpool fast lane”. We become impatient when there are too many people in the drive-thru fast food lanes or pharmacy lanes.
With 24-hour television and smart phones that never get turned off, we are constantly tuned into what’s happening in the town, county, country and world we live in. There is no turning it off and putting it down. It’s hard to have a conversation with people anymore because they are thinking about the next thing.
When we go to dinner with friends or sit in church, we’re constantly looking at our watch ready to go to the next thing. What happened to resting??? Exodus 31:15 says “For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord.”
Growing up we never did much on Sundays after church. We were lucky to even go out to lunch. Very few gas stations or businesses were even open on Sundays. It was truly a day of rest. But anymore we look at it as one more day to get things done.
Rascal Flatts has a song called Mayberry. Some of the lyrics are: “Sometimes it feels like this world’s spinning faster than it did in the old days. So naturally we have more natural disasters, from the strain of a fast pace. Sunday was a day of rest. Now it’s one more day for progress. And we can’t slow down. Cause more is less. It’s all an endless process.”
The chorus goes on to say “I miss Mayberry. Sittin’ on the porch drinkin’ ice cold cherry coke where everything is black and white. Pickin’ on the six string. People pass by and you call them by their first name. Watchin’ the clouds roll by.”
This is what RELAX is all about. We need to physically rest. We need to set aside time each day to RELAX physically. I am so guilty of trying to be “over productive” each day trying to fit in one more thing so I can hold up my hands in victory as I cross the finish line of a day and say “look how much I got done today. I win!!”
But what did I win? Tired muscles, headaches and insomnia? Is that winning? I took time yesterday (Sunday) and made myself sit in my porch swing on my patio and on my rocking chair on my front porch and read. I sat outside and watched my girls play with their dogs and truly enjoyed the beautiful day. I was pulled back into the real world and wanting to use Sunday as “one more day for progress” but I have to train myself to stop and physically relax and remember that the Sabbath day is a day of rest and holy to the Lord.
I do miss Mayberry. Think about these words this week and I’ll see you Sunday. My porch swing. I’ll have the cherry coke. It’s a date!
