When it comes to communication, I prefer a clear, direct, and no-fluff approach. Leaves little room for confusion and my personal interpretation.

But often times Jesus delivers a slow, methodical message with built-in images for the long term affect.

This time is no different.

Rest, A New Hybrid Season Brewing…

The months leading up to 2020, The Holy Spirit set the stage with his nuances and little nudges.

A stark contrast created between Martha and Mary went on repeat when I would start to get things done.

That’s Martha and I’m calling you to rest – like Mary.

That’s Martha.

Yep. That’s Martha too.

Insert image. And this is Mary, at Jesus’ feet.

Over and over…

Rest.

Sigh.

Let me back up..

Summer of 2019 we learned we were expecting.

Not exactly planned, but none the less excitedly welcomed. Ready or not, there would be a fourth baby arriving in February of 2020.

So the concept of rest introduced as the lead-in topic to a new year? Made sense. Naturally, life would be slowing down.

As the first of the year rolled around, I prepared myself, and anyone who would listen for that matter, for this new season.

I would say things like…

Jesus is telling me to rest.

I thought it was for a few months, but I think this rest is — for the entire year.

I’m getting a strong sense he’s gonna be teaching me about some serious rest.

Although the message being downloaded was becoming somewhat clear, internally I was digging deep on the concept of rest.

The Martha in me couldn’t help but be frustrated. I mean. Come. On.

Mary couldn’t have set at Jesus’ feet all the time.

Did she really sit?

All.

The.

Time.

I silently argued.

Lord, Martha knew things would pile up. Martha was trying to stay ahead of the game. Martha had shit to do.

So there I set. Struggling to digest this call to rest.

How, Lord?

Are you asking me to put it all down? Are you telling me to stop the things that you’ve called me to do and sit at your feet instead? Are you telling me everything I have envisioned is on hold to rest?

The answer?

I want you to rest and I want you to produce. I want you — to do both.

Then the pandemic hit.

We all came to a halt as the doors of our busy lives closed to the world. There was all of a sudden plenty of time for exposure to release it’s light on who we are when the hustle and bustle stops. When the noise of distraction is silenced.

I couldn’t help think about the conversation Jesus and I had been having prior to this worldwide crisis. I couldn’t help think my sweet friend, Jesus, was preparing this Martha all along.

And this invitation and call to rest he is speaking of?

What if it is for the Body of Christ and anyone who belongs to him who is willing to welcome it?

Anyone else who is ready to be Mary and still produce like Martha.

How are we being called to rest in this new season?

It’s a rest with little angst. It is stillness. It’s presence. A deep breath of fresh air.

Imagine for a second a hybrid concept of rest.

A combination of work and rest.

Working, but still resting in peace.

Producing while enjoying life without tension. Moving through life without pressure on your shoulders that’s set there so long you barely notice.

Kids. Work. Bills. Rest. Work. Kids. Errands. Planning. Rest.

Sporadically. This is how rest fits into our lives.

It’s a planned moment. A day added to our calendar. A weekend planned after months of hard labor.

Rest is not incessantly intertwined into our spirits.

And here is the hard truth…

We want:

Peace without letting go of our fear, vices, control and worries.

Joy without experiencing the pain that gets us there.

Rest without trusting The One who leads us.

But here is the truth we need.

We cannot come to a place of rest without laying something down.

We can not come to a place of rest without surrender, without sacrifice, and without letting go.

We can not come to a place of rest without trust.

If indeed we do believe Christ is our Shepherd, then we must trust He is good. And in his goodness, we trust he leads us to the place where our hungry and thirsty souls can be fed.

He leads us to a place our souls can find rest.

He is asking us to..

Lay down our worries.

Lay down the things we have put before him.

Lay down our anxieties.

Lay down the voices that control our thoughts and pick up his living WORD.

His word. His voice. His Holy Spirit. His healing power. His leading. His peace.

PICK. IT. UP.

For the single mom, I believe this call is needed now more than ever.

One who’s load is really too heavy to bear. The one who’s working so hard to do the job built for two.

He’s asking you to rest. At a time when this generation has been made aware of how vulnerable we are. A time when we fear just how uncertain our future is and how unprepared we really are.

I want more than anything for you, this year, to experience a rest like never before. I want more than ever for you to lay down your anxious heart.

What do you need to lay down in order to continuously sit in His rest?

If you haven’t already, open your heart to the Creator of the life you have been given. Let him walk you through the deep places you don’t even know need to be filled. I promise he’s the only one who can complete you.

I’m not asking you to do this alone. I’m stepping in to this season with you.

I am giving him my days one by one. When I feel hurried, I am working to invite his presence into my space. When I am feeling scared, I am asking for his strength to be bold. When I am feeling irritated, I am asking him to search my heart for the why. When the walls are caving in and I want so desperately to run, I’m sitting still for him to hold me.

You’ve been carrying it all far too long. When it was never meant for you to carry.

Lay it down. Right now the invitation is open. He wants to take you to a new level of rest. One you never knew existed.

’till next time,

Cassie ♥️