After three solid days of intense experiences in Africa, we took a small plane (which was an intense experience of itself) to a spot about 250 miles away from Kampala, the only city in Uganda. The lodge we were staying at was powered by a generator. The nearest medical facility was six hours away on unpaved and potentially unsafe roads.
We were in the middle of nowhere.
And it was time to rest.
One afternoon, we took a ferry across the Nile River and then hopped in a small bus. We drove half an hour on the bumpiest dirt road one could ever imagine to Murchison Falls, one of the many wonders of the world. We then hiked another half hour to the very top.
Slowly we progressed on a narrow, rocky trail, dodging tree branches and mosquitoes along the way. We occasionally stopped at the most beautiful parts of the rapids, taking each other?s pictures, but for the most part, the hike remained quietest part of the trip.
As we reached the top of the falls, we passed several signs warning us of the steep cliffs and the danger that awaited. Nobody was scared. Everyone was in awe. We helped each other over the slippery rocks and finally reached the very top.
Our guides told us many people have died at Murchison Falls. There are no rails to stop you from falling over. It?s you. The rocks. And the falls. The beauty of water is transformed into something breathtaking. People become mesmerized by the unique blend of tranquility and power. Some to the point they lose footing and fall over.
Standing as close to the edge as our leaders and guides would let us, we let the wind carry the spray and slowly drench us. Any fears of falling, of accidentally swallowing the parasite-infested water, of getting ravished by malaria-carrying mosquitoes?had all vanished.
The hardships of the trip ? the pain we saw, the poverty, the brokenness?those things didn?t disappear or float away in the rapids of the Nile. But taking that day to rest?to go to a quiet place and be reminded of the incredible power of the Creator, if anything, more tightly knit His sovereignty and hope to the terrible things we did see.
Rest bound together the incomplete to the complete.
We cannot be dependent on ourselves and dependent on God at the same time. When we consider the practice of rest unnecessary, we also will inevitably lose sight of the necessity of God.
Comments
21 responses to “the necessity of rest and the necessity of god”
such a good reminder for me; thanks. i have a hard time with this whole “rest” thing, even though on some levels i totally see my need for it.
sigh.
I really want to talk to you about these things. Your Africa things I mean. That’s a great pic of you by the way.
it’s ugly when you white-knuckle thru life and forget to rest/rest in God. I am in the middle of the ugliness now.
great principle! i think God had mentioned something about rest way back in exodus? yet there are so many that don’t feel it applies to us today. yet in the NT we see where Christ Himself would take time to rest…He even slept through a storm! He took time away to be alone with His Father, knowing that He couldn’t be dependant on Himself…and He was fully God.?. how much more important is it for us.
good stuff anne!
…wondering if the reason my life feels like chaos right now is because I’ve neglected rest and resting in God’s beauty. Thanks for painting a beautiful picture for us with your words!
Anne,
Deep words, great revelations and mighty
blessings! You rock! Keep the blog on
Blessings!
Anne,
Deep words, great revelations and mighty
blessings! You rock, God Rocks! Keep the blog on
Blessings!
Your words inspire.
I just read your twitter update about dreaming about Africa.
A couple years back, I spent a year in Central Asia working with Campus Crusade for Christ.
I still dream that I’m there at least once a week… usually more…
…this is but one of many cool conversation topics we could have discussed if you had just manipulated the 10,000th commenter competition so that I would have won ;0)
Love the last line. Well said.
(love the new pic too)
awesome!
few things are more soul-changing than experiencing the raw-ness of creation. two occasions stand out for me:
– standing on xc skis in the middle of Yellowstone NP in feb, and the only sound i hear is a woodpecker…
– (ok, this is more than one) any time i am in the ocean; not just at the ocean or on the ocean – in the ocean…
well said, anne.
An amazingly incredible blog, Anne. He does say in His Holy Word, “Be still and know that I am God.” Thanks for loving us enough to gently remind us.
Eloquently written. Something to chew on today. Thank you, friend.
“We cannot be dependent on ourselves and dependent on God at the same time. When we consider the practice of rest unnecessary, we also will inevitably lose sight of the necessity of God.”
Whoa! That is such a powerful thought. It is something that i so often do. i become self dependant for everything and acknowledge God, but i dont rest or keep God in my daily comings and goings.
i now have a lot to think about today…awesome!
spoken like a true poet. I definitely need put this into action
Have you read “The Rest of God”? It’s a great book and right along the lines of what you’re talking about. I highly recommend it!
Amy, I have! Just this weekend. Right before I wrote this!
Interesting. My Lenten word of the day for tomorrow is “rest”…very timely post, Mrs. Jackson.
God found rest and peace walking through the garden in the cool of the day. And he’s a great example to follow!
Resting in the Father’s care – it is true somehow we want railings and safety nets and guided tours when we could rest safely. Thank you Anne – I’ve been grasping at safety lines lately and they are not proving to be all that safe.
I SO needed to read this today. Thanks for the encouragement.