A Christmas Story: "Yellow Days" and the Need for a Savior

"Mommy, I think I'm just gonna have a little rest on the way home. I'm tired." Those were the welcoming words I heard from my son as I he got in the car and threw his bookbag to the side. Wanting to "take a rest" is usually translated as, "I feel sick but I'm not going to tell you I feel sick because I will either have to take nasty herbs, get adjusted by the chiropractor, or go to the doctor. None of which I want to do, so I will conveniently lie and say I'm just tired." I asked him if he felt ok to which he responded, "Yep, and in case you're wondering, I really don't wanna talk about school today." Ahhhh. So that's what's gong on. He began explaining to me how he got another "yellow day" at school. This would be the third one since he started the school year. Sure, not terribly bad, but I noticed he wasn't as ashamed of it as he was before. In other words, it was "just" a yellow day. And yes, he even used the illustration of a red-light. "Mommy, yellow is not ALL that bad. It just means sllllooooooow down before it turns Red." Him and that blessed imagination! He was right, but wrong all at once. It's hard to discipline when you want to give credit for the brilliant analogy. But, I was already fuming ,so the cuteness had no appeal at the moment. 

Immediately I start contemplating appropriate punishment. Should I take away his toys? Ground him? Does he even know what "grounded" means? Do I take away T.V.? Maybe he's old enough to use a belt for spankings now? Should I make him miss dinner and go to bed starving at 6pm? I wanted the punishment to be severe. After all, if I don't increase the severity each time, I'd wind up with a 15 yr old destined to go to jail..right?? Its times like these when I start making up frantic, ridiculous scenarios that I'm thankful the Lord is patient with me. I told Owen that we should both just sit silently and pray on the way home. I told him to pray about what happened today and pray God would lead Mommy to make the right decision. I wanted to discipline him the right way, not just out of my emotions....you know, my emotions that kept saying, "how dare he get on yellow?!"... as if little boys should have green days all the days of their school lives. :)  

Approaching home, I start thinking about our Christmas Craft I had planned for that afternoon. I had contemplated taking it away from him. I wanted him to experience ZERO happiness. Even if that meant not doing a craft for Jesus...(does that even make sense?). In my defense, I was angry and couldn't think straight. The craft for the day was to paint/make a stable for Baby Jesus. To talk about why Jesus came into the world. What better scenario to talk about sin and the need for a Savior, than after bringing home a "yellow day?" 

We pulled in the driveway, unloaded our stuff and I sat down with Owen. I started to explain to him what sin was. We talked about what happened in the garden with Adam and Eve. I explained that sin is not just about doing things that are wrong, it's also knowing the right thing to do and choosing not to do it. We talked about his cars, and how they are small toys that are made to look like the big cars. They are made in the image of the real thing. In the same way, we were made in the image of God until sin came in and ruined it. I shared with him that Daddy and I sin just like he does (he liked that part) and we are all in need of someone to take away our sin, and change our desires to be more like God's, someone who is sinLESS. For the first time he began to realize that he is incapable of living a life without sin, a hands-on experience for him to understand why he needed a Savior. 

We ended the talk with a prayer. I told him I would sit with him while he prayed. He chose to pray out loud and I can't tell you how it blessed my heart to hear his little prayer: "Dear God, I love you. I'm sorry for my yellow day. I'm sorry for sin. I hate yellow days and I hate sin. I want you to take it far away from me. In Jesus Name, Amen."  So simple, but so profound.


We got our paint, glitter and stickers out. He sat for what seemed like forever, painting the perfect stable for Jesus, making the star SUPER bright in the sky. He didn't complain about how retarded his animals looked, or how he messed up the hay on the roof. He just kept painting... and I'm betting he painted that scene with much more gratitude in his heart than if he'd had a green day.

You know, it's funny how God works. These past couple of days, while I'm thinking Owen is the one who needs the lesson, we both wind up being the students. He learned about sin and the need for salvation. I learned to put my emotions aside and seek the Lord for wisdom. Its a beautiful picture of the Lord, who loves and guides us like children...because no matter how grown we are...we are still His babies. 

“The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creation. Not to make people with better morals but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This, my friend, is what it really means to be a Christian."

A Christmas Story: Awkward Moments and Feeble Attempts

With the Christmas season upon us, I wanted to be sure I was spending more time speaking to Owen about Jesus and less about Santa. Now don't get me wrong, we love Santa in this house and the servant heart God gave him, but he by no means should he take front and center.

Yesterday, as I'm out and about shopping, I decide to make this Christmas special and pick up some art projects. I just know Owen will be so excited when I pick him from school and see the bags full of crafty things we can do together. And best of all, through the glue and glitter, he will day-by-day learn more about Jesus and what Christmas is all about. 

Well, things didn't go as planned. I picked him up from school and it seemed he had a chip on his shoulder from the time I left the parking lot. We get home and instead of excitement, I see annoyance. He was annoyed we had to read the Bible story before we started to paint. He just wanted to paint! The glitter glue got stuck in the tip and wouldn't come out right, causing an exploding of glitter all over the table. He couldn't draw the donkey "the right way" and got frustrated. The angel he painted looked less heavenly and more extraterrestrial than anything. The windows in the Advent calendar wouldn't open all the way, causing us to jerk it open, sending the piece of candy inside falling to the floor. What I had planned to be an exciting, bonding experience with the Lord, quickly became reason to adjust this little demon's attitude. One thing led to another and it was obvious this train was headed south at an alarming rate. How could something with such great intentions go so wrong?! Hello, Lord! I'm teaching Him about You…little help here in the attitude department?? PUUULEAASSEE!

My heart was sad, mad and frustrated. I felt unappreciated. My first instinct was to lay down the hammer and let him know what it feels like to be disrespected..to take away the "happy mommy". By dinner time, Owen was exiled to his room to read books and think about his attitude while I took a hot bath. Yes, I'm not ashamed to admit this is a time of recovery for me. Both my boys know, if Momma's in the bath and soft music is playing, she's either praying or reading…LEAVE HER BE! Little did I know, we both needed an attitude adjustment.

I began to just talk to God and share my frustration with Him. Lord, I spent the whole day thinking of Owen. With every tube of glitter glue, every package of pipe cleaners, the mound of marshmallows and cups of paint, I thought of his smile. I imagined how excited he'd be to know I thought of him. I wanted to make this Christmas Story special and personal for Him. He did nothing but sulk, have a bad attitude and show ungratefulness. I'm not even really sure he had a smile on his face. What an ungrateful child! 

Then the Lord reminded me how much that sounded like me... "Do you know how many sunsets I paint just for you to marvel at? If you only recognized how many little blessings I sprinkle upon your day that go unnoticed, you'd be in awe."

It was true. Many a times, I've accepted His blessings as just another part of my day. I so wanted today to be special. For Owen to WANT to learn more about  Jesus. For Him to enjoy knowing the Lord like I do. I have to remind myself that I don't need bells and whistles to teach His truths. He is enough. The Father is the one who draws people to Him. Teaching Owen through music, art or whatever else I can is great, but most importantly he needs to see a life surrendered to the Lord. And that is much more effective than coming up with a Lesson Plan for the day. 

What started, in my mind, as a moment of justified anger towards Owen ended with gentle rebuke from the Lord. Just like Owen, I often take advantage of God's blessings. Just as the Lord's response to my ungratefulness is patient kindness, so should be mine with Owen. The best way I can show Owen Christ is to imitate Him. And the best was to imitate Him is to be daily surrendered to His will and work in my life, daily appreciating the blessings he bestows upon me. 

So this afternoon, I will once again give up control. We will add a new scene to our painting, extraterrestrial animals and all. We will laugh at the chocolate falling on the floor, and open another window on the calendar to get a new piece. Glitter may get  stuck in the tube, paint all over the table and he may eat too many marshmallows…but we will smile through it all, knowing things don't have to go as planned for the message to sink into our hearts, confident that even in the not-so-perfect attempts, He is working. What a MIGHTY God we serve. 

Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the One who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference. 

In the Silence

I am an introvert. I'm surprised how many odd looks I get when I share that fact with friends. One thing about introverts, we like alone time. We can be social and carry on for a short while, but feel the need to retreat to a hot bath and silence by the end of the day. We tend to give our all when we know we have to...family functions, church gatherings, parties, get-togethers, etc. They tend to zap our strength pretty quickly though. After a short reprieve, we are up and ready to go again.

I see Jesus as an introvert. You'll notice all throughout his ministry, he would sneak away at some of the oddest times to be alone. Not just alone, but with God, in prayer. That time would refresh him physically, emotionally and spiritually to take on the next order of business for the day. 

"And early in the morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there." ( Mark 1:35)

"...He Himself was sending the multitude away. And after bidding them farewell, he departed to the mountain to pray." (Mark 6:45-46)

"... and He said to His disciples, "Sit here until I have prayed."... And He said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch." And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground, and began praying. ( Mark 14:32-34)

"And when day came, He departed to a lonely place; and the multitudes were searching for Him..."( Luke 4:42)

"But He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray." ( Luke 5:16)

"And it was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God." ( Luke 6:12)

I love quiet time with my books. I especially love quotes (as if you couldn't tell from my Facebook posts), you know, the old-timey ones with words like "thou" and "hast." They spark something in my soul. From authors like Phillip Yancey, Brennan Manning, David Platt, John Piper and Ravi Zacharias, who needs any further explanation? There's no thinking left in the matter, it's all spelled out for me right here in this book. Need a refreshing read on prayer? There's a book for that. Need to learn how to give up control? Got a chapter for that one too. Yancey wrote something that struck home with me during one of my morning reading sessions, 

"After spending hours in a silent field, I have become convinced more than ever before that God finds ways to communicate to those who truly seek Him, we only need lower the volume of the surrounding static."

Coffee cup in one hand and my book in the other, tears roll down my face. These are great authors, with great personal stories and ideas to glean from. But it comes out of the overflow of THEIR time with the Lord, not yours. Conviction fills my heart. I hear that familiar voice speak so gently to my heart, "Jesus didn't bring a book along to be alone with Me, because He expected me to speak and he was fully prepared to listen."  
I began to realize how great a privilege I've neglected. I have the Creator God available to me. My God, who has promised to be attentive to my cries if I only speak them. My Lord who reminds me that it is He who orders my steps. On top of that privilege, as a stay-at-home mom, I've been given a rare blessing: a house of silence every morning.  I've repeatedly chosen to fill that time with books, expanding my knowledge of theology, folding laundry while listening to Christmas carols, scrubbing toilets and remaking beds. While having a clean house brings me joy, it is not eternal and certainly can't align my heart to God's like sitting still before Him can.

With smartphones at our fingertips and T.V.'s on our gas pumps, it has never been more of a challenge to turn down the static of this world. Finding time to be alone and still with the Lord will most definitely be tough, but with Jesus as our example, we've got to realize how crucial it is to our life, our heart and our soul. 

This morning, I've made a commitment to the Lord. 
To put my books down with expectation to hear from the Greatest Author of all. 
To ignore the pile of dirty clothes for a little bit while I clothe myself in His will for me. 
To be still and know that He is God.

Check out this song, In the Silence by Jason Upton. Hope it speaks to your heart like it does mine. 

A Pep-Talk for the Heart

My heart and I had a talk this morning. Over the last several days, I've been frazzled over ridiculous concerns and quite honestly I was beginning to even annoy myself. 

I worried if my aerosol can of Olive Oil spray listed propellant in the ingredients. Because surely propellant isn't a legit food group.

I was concerned my dog would chew up a rock and choke on it, because he insists on bringing one in the house every time I let him out. That would then lead me to either have to pay a vet bill to get the rock dislodged or even worse, tell my son he's dead due to my late arrival at the vet.

I've prayed nonstop that Owen's recent sniffles will stop immediately. If he comes down with a cold, or even worse a stomach virus, before we leave for Baltimore this weekend, it would then cause a chain reaction and all of us would wind up sick, therefore allowing none of the Burlison household take the 11 hour drive to visit family.

I've been fighting mad at my husband and his brother for making our departure time for Baltimore to be 3:45 IN THE MORNING! I mean, what is wrong with them?! Have they seen me at 3:45 a.m.?! Do they know they are unleashing the beast within when they mess with my sleep?!

These are just 4 examples. I could embarrass myself further but I've leave it at that. The only consolation I have in my ridiculousness is that David wasn't that different from me. As read through the Psalms, you'll see David jumping with joy and gladness in his heart and turn the page to find him distraught with fear of enemies surrounding him, wondering why God has left him to die. 

I have divided heart. It's part of living in a fallen world. I know God's truth. I know He provides. I know He is control, but do I BELIEVE it? More often times than not, I allow my emotions and concerns for that moment to be bigger than His truth in my heart. I let worry have my allegiance.

It's not wrong to share my concerns to God. There's no sin in asking Him to keep sickness far away. It's a good thing to want to eat and drink things that are good for the body, after all that's the temple we've been given. We should desire to keep it healthy. It becomes a problem when these things overtake me. One thing about David, he was determined not end the chapter in despair. He concludes with a command to his heart to no longer be downcast. An order to put his hope in the Lord. 

The fact that I've let these things fester in my heart, shows me I haven't reminded myself today that God is in control. Not just a gentle reminder, but a forceful one. One that commands my emotions to take a back seat. 

So, heart, time for a little pep-talk … 

Today--

I will use my propellant spray in the cabinet to the glory of God while I scramble my eggs.

I will pray health over Owen and not dwell another minute on the outcome. I'll rev up his immune system and let God do what He will, no matter what the outcome.

I will let my dog out and let him chew as many dang rocks as he pleases. 

I will let my control issues go and KNOW that God has put the desire in the hearts of the men to leave early, and I will remind myself there is always good reason for that. 

I'm sure I'll see worry rear it's ugly head again before the day is through, but I'm determined to lead my heart by the Truth. 

In the words of David...

"My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever." Psalm 73:26

"May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14

When Dirty Old Men Meet A Life Well-Lived.

Check out this story about a man named Dominique. He lived his life with no concern of its usefulness. He had complete faith and confidence that his life would have meaning and purpose, and it would flow directly from his personal relationship with Christ. This confidence allowed him to live his life accepting others for who they are, not who they should've become. Lord, guide me into becoming more like Dominique. More like Jesus.

"Dominique Voillaume has influenced my life as few people ever have. He learned at age fifty-four that he was dying of an inoperable cancer. With the community's permission he moved to a poor neighborhood in Paris and took a job as night watchman at a factory. Returning home every morning at 8:00 a.m., he would go directly to a little park across the street from where he lived and sit down on a wooden bench. Hanging around the park where marginal people- drifters, winos, "has-beens," dirty old men who ogled the girls passing by.

Dominique never criticized, scolded, or reprimanded them. He laughed, told stories, shared his candy, accepted them just as they were. From living so long out of the inner sanctuary, he gave off a peace, a serene sense of self and hospitality of heart that caused cynical young men and defeated old men to gravitate towards him like bacon toward eggs. His simple witness lay in accepting others as they were without questions and allowing them to make themselves at home in his heart. Dominique was the most nonjudgmental person I have ever known. He loved with the heart of Jesus.

One day, when the ragtag group of rejects asked him to talk about himself, he gave them a thumbnail description of his life. Then he told them with quiet conviction that God loved them tenderly and stubbornly, that Jesus had come for rejects and outcasts just like themselves. His witness was credible because the Word was enfleshed on his bones. Soon after, the dirty jokes, vulgar language, and leering at women just stopped. 

One morning, Dominique failed to appear at the park bench. The men grew concerned. Few hours later, he was found dead on his apartment floor. He died in the obscurity of a Parisian slum.

Dominique never tried to impress anybody, never wondered if his life was useful or his witness meaningful. He never felt he had to do something great for God. He did keep a journal. His last entry was one of the most astonishing things I've ever read:

'All that is not the love of God has no meaning for me. I can truthfully say that I have no interest in anything but the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. If God wants it to, my life WILL be useful through my word and witness. If He wants it to, my life WILL bear fruit through my prayers and sacrifice. But the usefulness of my life is His concern, not mine. It would be indecent of me to worry about that.'

In Dominique Voillaume I saw the reality of a life lived entirely for God and others. After an all night prayer vigil by his friends, he was buried in an unadorned pine box in the backyard of an old church. A simple wooden cross over his grave that read, 'a witness to Jesus Christ' said it all. More than seven thousand people gathered from all over Europe to attend his funeral."

"A life of love lived unpretentiously for others flowing out of a life lived for God is the imitation of Christ and the only authentic discipleship. A life of service through unglamorous, unpublicized works of mercy is a life marked by the signature of Jesus." 

 Quotes by: Brennan Manning, "The Signature of Jesus" 

 

Turning Distractions into Divine Appointments

I've been busy lately. I've been organizing things for the church while processing orders through my AdvoCare business and making deliveries. I've been a full-time Mommy and a full-time wife, waking early to be sure everyone has had their breakfast, clothes out and ready for the day, lunches packed and the dog fed. I'm a full time chef and housekeeper.I almost feel I work more now than I did when I had my clock-in, clock-out day job. You know, the one I actually got PAID to do! I realize this doesn't seem to be a long "to-do-list" for those of you who have more than one kid, full time jobs and then do everything above and probably more. If that is you, you are my superhero. God gave me one kid and no full time job for good reason! Most days, I can fit in all that needs to be done, but let one thing go wrong that day and all hell breaks loose.

Let me be five minutes late getting out the door.
Let my son make a disaster of a mess on the kitchen floor as we are walking out the door.
Let my husband ask me to run a random errand I wasn't expecting.
Wait for a few minutes while these things pile up and you'll see me emotionally explode all over the ones I love most.
I immediately lose focus and unleash the brunt of a woman scorned, or more precisely, a woman out of control.

This morning as I sit down to spend time in the Word, I'm brought to tears. How can I say to my son, "Follow me as I follow Christ" when my example is "follow-worthy" only when everything is right and on time in my world? I began to look at the life of Jesus and I noticed an uncanny difference in He and I (go figure). He too had a mission to fulfill. He too had limited time. He had a few short years to show the world what God looked like, to fulfill the prophecies and die a sacrificial death. If anyone's feathers should've been ruffled, it was His. With such a tall order to fill, I wouldn't dare take time to enjoy the things He did. I mean seriously, who has time for sleep, rest, sitting down for meals and dancing at a wedding while there's a whole world of lost and dying people to save?! You didn't catch Him glancing at His appointment book, being certain there was a time slot for these things. Jesus partook in all the above with a glad and joyful heart.

"Jesus was able to strike a balance between showing compassion and staying focused on his mission." - Mary Maxwell (missionary)

Looking to Jesus as our example, we can't turn a blind eye to this incredible way about Him. It seems like He chose to see each moment of His day as part of His mission. Almost as if He wanted us to notice God working despite what we would consider to be distractions.

He took time to enjoy the things we haphazardly rush through.
He invited children to interrupt his day.
He stopped to answer questions for wandering hearts and minds.
He allowed Himself to be a vessel for healing, no matter what else was on the day's agenda.
He made relationships, deep ones, with people who would soon abandon him.
He sought out those who would consider themselves unworthy of unconditional love.

He didn't eat lunch on the run, sparing no time for fellowship with his friends.
He didn't harshly scold the child running up to him as if they were an annoyance.
He didn't get angry at the humanness of the people and their mistakes.
He didn't allow his agenda to dictate His day, but the day to dictate the agenda, knowing every appointment was sovereignly appointed by His Almighty Father.
He didn't allow the pain and emotions of befriending many who soon abandon Him to stand in the way of knowing and loving them completely, despite what was certain to come.
He looked for opportunities to show grace, knowing the ones who needed it most would most likely feel unworthy to come looking for Him.

As I think about the ways in which I am far from the character of Jesus, tears fill my eyes. Tears of sadness because I allow myself to be ruled by emotions more often than not. Tears of happiness, knowing that He who began a good work in me is faithful to see it through to completion. I'm thankful His gentle Spirit steers me towards the desire to be more like Christ. And for good reason! It's imperative to a dying world that they see people who are different, who slow down to enjoy this day, time and season with joy and confidence that God is working in the midst.

Jesus was a man with laser-like focus. His purpose, to fulfill the will of the Father. His mission, to save a dying world. His short time here on earth was lived out with peace, joy and compassion. Could He be inviting us to see every event of our lives as a divine appointment instead of an annoying disruption? If he can take time to enjoy the simple things of this lifetime, then so should we.

Let's focus on this mission God has called us to; be it our workplace, our relationships or our agenda for the day, no matter what our emotions tell us.
Let's allow Him access to our appointment book, even when it seems to be full to the brim.
Lets allow our hearts to be refreshed by the comfort of His word, even though it means we must silence the noise.
Tune our hearts to prayer, admitting where we fall short and reminding ourselves God will lead us this day, confident this will bring our will to align with His.
Let's view every moment as irreplaceable. Let's began to enjoy disruptions, though they be many!
Let's realize our time is short, our mission is important and this is not our home!

"The focus of Jesus' life was to stay perfectly attuned to his Father's voice. He was determined to live every moment in harmony with the Father's will." - Jennifer Dean 

Attention All Control Freaks: Rest is Required

I'm not a fan of rest. It feels unproductive. Lazy. Pointless. 

So, what's the problem? Why not just suck it up that I am a "doer" who doesn't need rest?
Well, the problem is the Bible, more importantly, God. He not only seems to think it's important for us to take a day of rest, He actually takes a day off himself. 

Genesis 2: 2-3 “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.”

Mark 6:30-32 "The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves."

During my restlessness, I came across this devotional and it really struck a cord with me:

"We secretly glorify the people who do it all, no matter the costs. Sure, we all have busy seasons with a new baby or the project due at work. But often, I think my refusal to rest is a symptom of self-sufficiency hardening into pride. The longer I’m awake, the longer I can control my environment and my results. It means less trusting that God will give me what I need and more time scraping together what I need and desire. Often, it means getting so busy doing things for God that we neglect our primary relationship with him.

The command to “be at rest” isn’t just for our benefit.  Rest is not a guilty pleasure we have to sneak. Instead, we need to think of rest as a grace-filled reminder that we are creatures of clay dependent on a much stronger God. Our energy levels wind down until we are forced to acknowledge that – surprise! – we can’t engineer our lives as much as we’d like to think. But that weakness allows God to make us a promise in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me… and I will give you rest.”

My disdain of rest really comes down to my need for control. I like scheduling my day. I have a day for grocery shopping. A day for cooking. A time frame for my workout. A time to read. A time to pray. Set times when I eat. An alarm that wakes me up every day. An internal clock that tells me when to sleep. Needless to say, I'm a creature of habit. Let me tell you what happens when this creatures plans get thwarted for the day; I get all bent out of shape. I pitch a fit. I slam doors. I often times lash out at whoever is around me. I make sure everyone in the house knows my frustration at the change in plans. 

Between my husband being down for the count this weekend, causing my plan to paint the church walls to come crashing down; my pastor calling to let me know I'm being disobedient and rebellious by trying to pull my sick husband out to work when we need his voice to lead us in worship on Sunday; a nasty cold invading my body today... I'd say God is trying to teach me a thing or two. His ways are not my ways. His plans are not my plans. If I keep planning out every hour of my day, what room do I leave for Him to intervene? 

Maybe the whole point of rest is to teach the "doers" like me that the world won't stop revolving if I take the day off. By taking a day of rest, I'm forced to let God take the day and do with it what He wills. I'm guessing I need to start allowing this lesson to sink in, or I might see more random sick days in my future. 

As I blow my nose for the millionth time today and sip my hot tea under a heated blanket, I'm reminded of my "humanness." I'm thankful that God is still honored, if not more so, in my rest. Thanks for the day off, Lord :)