Solitude and Rest

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,"In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." Isaiah 30:15

 Right in the midst of the craziness of a new school year and the busyness of life in general, there's this wonderful little three day weekend tucked into September.  At first, I was a little bummed that I didn't have anything planned, or that I'd be alone for the weekend (roomies gone)... but I have to say, I have never been more thankful for a long weekend with no dominating event and considerable amounts of time in solitude.  Don't get me wrong, I have my fair share of things to accomplish this weekend, and I'm not sequestering myself off without interaction with people, but I am so thankful for the rest, and the opportunity to hang out with people at a leisurely pace.   Some musings from this enjoyable time...

I am so incredibly blessed!  I was reading in Psalms today, along with some notes from my pastor about Psalm 103... he said that we must look backward (on past blessings) in order to go forward (in responsive worship) - which caused me to reflect on all of the ways that the LORD has blessed me (and how much I take them for granted or forget them altogether).  The list is endless, but I was especially grateful for the people He has put in my life, the reconciliation He has shown me, the way He has fostered my desire to understand more of the world, and the challenges in my life that have made me who I am today.

Today's weather was beautiful.  It's the kinda where you're walking down the street, and you can't help but smile, close your eyes and feel the breeze, and look up at the perfectly blue sky.  Several of my friends went to a wedding today, and found myself so excited for the couple that gets to go through such a special ceremony on a day like this.  =)

Even though I've kinda gone through this day at a lazy pace, I've still managed to work on some of those things on my bucket list for this semester.  It's amazing to me how easily I've been able to work on my choreography project and how it's just naturally coming along... I spent some time in the studio doing that today, and then got to chill outside reading the Bible and thanking Jesus while eating some raspberry frozen yogurt at Yoghut.  I stopped at Barnes and Noble on my way home to pick up a copy of Mere Christianity, so that I could get started on it.  I ended up spending awhile reading a biography called Princess about the life of a modern Saudi-Arabian princess, though... it's so heartbreaking to read about what is allowed to be done to these women (and, as the Princess herself stated, in many other places and cultures around the world).

Back home, I got to soak up more sunshine on my back porch and read some good old-fashioned C.S. Lewis... I loved what he had to say in his explanation of Christianity in the context of Denominations (this made me think of a few friends, in their current search for a church home)...

It is more like a hall out of which doors open into several rooms. If I can bring anyone into that hall I shall have done what I attempted. But it is in the rooms, not in the hall, that there are fires and chairs and meals. The hall is a place to wait in, a place from which to try the various doors, not a place to live in. For that purpose the worst of the rooms (whichever that may be) is, I think, preferable.

It is true that some people may find they have to wait in the hall for a considerable time, while others feel certain almost at once which door they must knock at. I do not know why there is this difference, but I am sure God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait. When you do get into your room you will find that the long wait has done you some kind of good which you would not have had otherwise. But you must regard it as waiting, not as camping. You must keep on praying for light: and, of course, even in the hall, you must begin trying to obey the rules which are common to the whole house. And above all you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and paneling.

In plain language, the question should never be: "Do I like that kind of service?" but "Are these doctrines true: Is holiness here? Does my conscience move me towards this? Is my reluctance to knock at this door due to my pride, or my mere taste, or my personal dislike of this particular door-keeper?"

When you have reached your own room, be kind to those Who have chosen different doors and to those who are still in the hall. If they are wrong they need your prayers all the more; and if they are your enemies, then you are under orders to pray for them. That is one of the rules common to the whole house.

And now, I suppose, I'll start some homework.  But I'm enjoying some Pandora/screening more music for my choreography at the same time, and the breeze is still blowing, and I'm pretty sure God will be teaching me much throughout this time of rest and solitude.  Awesome.