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Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29 NLT
The Quilting Dichotomy
Don't get me wrong... making a quilt is hard work. A typical quilt consists of hundreds of pieces, all carefully measured and cut. Then pieces are sewn together one by one into a pattern that usually isn't revealed to the quilter until the end. It can take hours, days and even years to finish a quilt. It takes dedication, persistence, and hard work. It's also restful. It's a dichotomy; burdensome hard work and peaceful rest.
Ultimate Vacation Anyone?
When I think of rest, I think of vacations, beaches, cruises... not hard work. My dream vacation is a cruise where every decision is pre-made and paid for. I can enjoy the vastness of the ocean from a lounge chair on the deck. I can feel the sea breeze with its slightly salty smell. I can rest assured that every one of my needs will be taken care of and I can have lots of adventures in new places. There are even quilting cruise, where I can sew to the wee hours of the morning if I wanted to and spend the day soaking up the sun's rays by the pool and having fun adventures in all the ports.
Here's the thing, though, while rest may come in the form of a vacation, that's not the only way to find rest. In fact, I routinely feel just as restful after a session of quilting or sewing. I feel accomplished and energized to go about the rest of my day doing some of the things that are not so restful. I am routinely drawn to my sewing machine after a long busy day to sit and work on the current project. That's where I find rest from my day.
The Deepest Rest
There's another way to find rest. This rest is the ultimate rest... better than a day of sewing or a long vacation. It's Jesus. Here too, there's a dichotomy of taking up the yoke of Jesus and finding soulful rest. Being a Christ follower is hard work... we are called to rise above this world. We sometimes have to make hard choices. We are fighting against a world that wants to tear us down. But... when we take up the yoke of Jesus we have purpose, a higher reward. Jesus also promises to give us the deepest, soul-filling rest we've ever experienced. Better than the ultimate quilting cruise. Even better than an evening of quiet quilting.
This rest is a gift from Jesus and it's trusting that He will take all our burdens. It's trusting that all will be provided in due time. It's trusting in our higher purpose and eternal reward. As we work daily to take up the yoke of Jesus we can be assured that He will give us rest.
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