The purpose of Rest

Sometimes one’s planned rest periods don’t work out.

Mark 6:33-34 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

I give thanks for the nature of God revealed in Jesus that puts compassion as one of life’s highest goals. Multiple times in the gospel Jesus is moved to action by compassion; compassion for people’s physical suffering, for their hunger, for their times of mourning, for their spiritual feelings of being lost and cut off.
Still Jesus continues to seek times of rest and solitude. Why? Because he knows that even the most compassionate among us can suffer compassion burnout.

I try and take Fridays as a day of rest. If there is a funeral or other significant crisis in people’s lives, however, I will always make that a priority. Then I am careful to find some other time both for myself and my family.

For a nice laugh, check out this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyNyHLCppMA