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Seasons of rest and work

There are times in life where God allows you periods of rest.  The hustle and bustle of life subsides, there is plenty of time to complete all things on the "to do list" and you may even find yourself a little bored.  That is where I am at the moment; however, it is gone tomorrow with the start of the new job.

This has happened a couple of times during our marriage.  I remember all too well a time in North Carolina, just before we moved to Amherst, in which Steve was so bored with nothing to do he felt almost depressed.  He and his brother had been building houses and the market, as everyone knows, just crashed.  We had made the decision to go with Bubba and Nedra to plant a church and were just waiting on things to fall into place.  I was working full-time, but Steve was sitting home all day with nothing going on.  I remember saying, "Be grateful for this quiet time, you know that means God's is giving us rest before the storm." 

And a storm it was.  The next 4 years of church planting in Virginia were the busiest we have ever been, the most stressed, and the most exhausted.  It was also a huge season of growth.  We learned more about "the church" and its inner working than we ever thought we would.  We didn't really know it at the time, but now that we are doing it all over again, we see it.  When we approach each situation, we have something to draw from.  When I am dealing with the women and children, I find myself being a little copy of Nedra.  I am so grateful we have solid Christians to model after.  That is what came from a season of rest.

Christ's ministry on earth was shorter than our time in Virginia.  Just three brief years, He spread the Good News and prepared the disciples to take over.  It is an awesome testimony to what can be accomplished in a short period of time.  It makes me sad to think we find ourselves "bored."  What might we be able to accomplish in those times if we just took some initiative.  When you take on the life of a believer - there is precious little time to finish the race God lays out for you.  It occurs to me, perhaps I have wasted some of the last six weeks.  I hope He isn't disappointed in how I have used my time. 

I do believe God allows for rest.  But I also know, you cannot reap what you do not sow.  Resting is fine for the short term, but it will not produce a harvest. 

In His service
Mally

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