Mark 4: 38: Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!”

As part of my coaching training that would help me coach church leaders on the revitalization initiative by the PCUSA, I had to sit in a real coaching scenario and talk about my concerns as a colleague coaches me.

As I answered his questions, it became clear to me that I am overworking myself and desperately need a break. But it is no time for breaks. There is a lot of work to be done. The “coach” asked me when I could possibly get some time off and I looked at my calendar and back at him and said: maybe next month, or the month after..

The text in Mark shows Jesus resting during a storm. It is urgent! The disciples know it. They wonder: doesn’t he care?! Jesus must have really needed his rest. He certainly felt the urgency of the situation but he was committed to self-care. How can he tend to his demanding disciples if he is too exhausted to tend to himself. He sleeps!

This text gives me permission to rest. There’s always going to be more work, and resting may sound or feel irresponsible, but in this passage Jesus teaches us a lesson about trust and rest.

Friend, today, give yourself permission to rest!

Prayer: You who created this universe and rested on the seventh day, give us to rest in You. Amen.