Rest in Venice, Original Watercolor, Marcia Carole
It is a very rainy day today in Seattle. Briefly, the rain, coming down hard, sounds like wind rushing through my backyard. Then the storm passes, and there only remains the gentle dripping sound of stray droplets off trees and roofs. The gray remains, but the violence of the heavy downpour has passed. My backyard is at rest.
I’ve been looking at the concept of “rest” because, well, I do a lot of it these days. When in doubt, I lie down for a nap. I think about all my busy teaching days and how I only wanted rest at the end of the day. Now, that is my default setting. I am currently a “rest engineer,” a “rest specialist,” a “rest technician.” I’m not getting paid for this new career path; which dovetails nicely with my current starving artist career path.
While resting, I have looked at, studied, the word “rest”, and this study has led me to the word, “restore.” Now, that is a word I can get behind! (Yes, I am resting in Jesus, and that is so huge. I want to stay put there no matter what my future holds.) However, If all this resting will lead to restoring of my health, service and sharing art, faith and story, then that is very encouraging as I nod off once again, surrounded by books, paint brushes, glasses of carrot juice and pill bottles, in my bed.
Like the painting above, which I painted after my trip to Venice one year, I am tucked in at the dock, all covered up, being restored for the next day’s adventure. Or, in my case, the next season’s adventure. So, here is to resting and restoring. That’s what I’ll be doing for a while.
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 1Peter 5:10
