The Ark of Rest
What does the end of your day look like?
In this season of life, the end of my day usually involves me flopping down like a sack of potatoes into my favorite chair, closing my eyes, and partaking in the “Sinisi Sigh.” You know. The deep breath you take and then release loudly, as if the sound will somehow rejuvenate you. Sometimes my husband will join me, and we will be laying in our living room like two slugs, not moving, but trying to outdo the other with our loud exhaled breathes.
At the end of each day, I am tired, needing rest. Not just physical rest, but mental and emotional rest. Rest is required for me to function my best the next day, so I make it a priority to get the rest I need. If only I made it more of a priority in my life to get spiritual rest too. The antithesis of rest is anxiety, and I have a tendency to hold on to my worries and fears. All one has to do is hear the news, look at social media, see the magazines being sold at the check-out counter, or have a conversation with someone to notice and experience the chaos happening in this world. I am thankful that God’s Word is available so I can allow His wisdom to teach me about rest when all I seem to do is wrestle with anxiety.
Let’s talk about Noah.
“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5 (NASB)
This is the world Noah lived in. I don’t know about you, but unfortunately, I see so much wickedness in mankind during these difficult times, and if I’m honest, in myself. Especially when I am tired spiritually.
Noah lived during such a horrific time in history that the sin caused so much spiritual unrest that God wanted to wash the world clean. Yet, Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD, and was used by God to save creation and then establish a covenant with him. But Noah went through a lot of difficult and anxiety-ridden times, including: the ridicule and harassment of building a massive vessel that took 120 years to make; the trauma of watching and hearing the rest of creation be destroyed, and the waiting for God to release him and his family from the ultimate quarantine.
Have you been ridiculed and harassed for your faith?
Have you experienced traumatic events?
Have you had to wait on God?
I think we all can answer yes to these questions, and can think of how our individual stories in each of these categories connects to our worries and fears. But what I find so powerful in the story of Noah, is the meaning of his name.
Noah means rest.
In biblical times, the name of a person meant much more than just the parents liking the name. It represented the time they lived in, something that happened in the family or something that God was showing them or the society of that time. So, it’s interesting to me that his name would mean rest during the most chaotic time in history. Now, I’m not able to time travel and I’m using some sanctified imagination here, but maybe Noah received the name he did because he didn’t rest in his circumstances, the state of the world he lived in, his family, or even his own abilities. Maybe he was given that name because he rested in God. He rested in God for his salvation, his provision, his safety, his hope, and the source of his family’s future.
Resting in God doesn’t mean that our lives won’t have difficult situations to navigate or we won’t experience hard circumstances. Resting in God means that even when those days come of walking through the valleys of life, I know who God is and trust in His character. He is good. He is for me. He is love. He is just. He is compassionate. He is merciful. God never changes; despite me being on the mountain top or down in the valley. And I can rest in Him.
When I found out I had cancer, God spoke very clear to my heart, “Megan, you can carry the weight of the trial, or you can rest with the weight of my peace.” I make a conscious choice every day to pray for His peace to rest heavy on me so I can cling to Him and not the anxieties of my circumstances or this world.
Beloved and beautiful friend, life has difficult seasons that can cause me to live in a constant state of fear and pain. Yet, I have a choice to focus on the chaos or focus on the Creator who can bring order to the chaos and then command to rest (Genesis 1). I need Jesus to give me spiritual rest every day, and just like Noah, to remember Jesus is my salvation, my provision, my safety, my hope, and the source of mine and my family’s future. When you’re breathing out your own version of the “Sinisi Sigh,” because you need rest, I pray that we can all breathe out His praise and breathe in His grace.
Points to ponder:
· What is preventing you from rest today?
· Can you relate to Noah in any way? How?
· What is one way you can breathe out God’s praise and breath in His grace today?
Megan Sinisi absolutely adores a good cup of coffee, chocolate, and sitting with people to share life stories. She is a native to Las Vegas, born and raised, and has four beautiful children with her handsome husband, Vincenzo. She is a counselor, specializing in the field of addictions, with multiple certifications, both in Nevada and nationally. She directed Nevada’s largest treatment court and has been building her private practice since 2014, acquiring contracts with the City of Las Vegas, City of Henderson, Clark County Special Defender’s Office, and Zappos.com. It is because of her own journey of healing and through her career that she has learned the wounds we have can begin to be healed as we share our stories. She considers it an honor when someone shares their story with her, and hopes that as she shares her stories of victory and healing that others can be inspired, encouraged, and challenged. Megan has a love and fervor for writing and is walking in faith that God is calling her to use that passion and gift for His glory. She is someone who is known for her honesty and transparency that brings light to difficult situations and feelings, and offers hope and encouragement for the journey of life. It is her hope that by sharing her journey, it encourages, challenges, inspires, comforts, and most importantly, shines the light of Jesus and the reality of His love, grace, and mercy. You can find more from Megan at www.meganjsinisi.com And @meganjsinisi on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.