Once upon a time I went to Montana…sabbatical-ing, by myself. Reflecting on that adventure, a first for me, these words come to mind:
Solitude.
Nature.
Rest.
Courage.
Stillness.
Shalom.
Less familiar with the real meaning of Shalom, I did some digging. The ancient Hebrew meaning of Shalom was ‘to make whole’. In Exodus 21-22 it is translated as ‘make it good’, ‘make full restitution’ or ‘restore’. When we think of restoration, we often think of piecing things together, adding parts that are missing, fastening pieces together that have been damaged. I have learned that true restoration, at least the way God works, usually requires some kind of subtraction, too.
John 3:30 ESV “He must increase, but I must decrease.”
There is a necessary emptying, making space for new growth, for more of Him and less of me. This sabbatical challenged me in all the best ways: the removal of to-do lists, the yawning silence of a day by myself in the mountains, the discomfort of hours stretching out before me with no plans and so much possibility. Being STILL is what enables us to truly know He is God, to know what “He is God” means in our day-to-day life, in our fears and our hopes and dreams. This trip, and the difficulty of the months since, helped me realize the gifts of emptiness, of need and even desperation. Because when desperation and emptiness are aimed at God, we really get to see what He is made of. When we look to ourselves, to distraction, to noise, to culture, to causes or knowledge…or even to others, we don’t get to be filled the way we were intended. Nothing creates true shalom-wholeness like the one who created us to begin with.
It's time for me to head to a river again, to sit in silence with God and see what He wants to restore and to build. Your rest might start by driving without a podcast or music playing. It might be near the water, on a hike, it might take you away overnight or for an hour. Whatever you do, fight for the time to be still. I’m praying ‘shalom’ for us all today, friends. Wholeness, found in Him.
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