The night was slowly sneaking up on what's left of the drowsy day as the moon was beginning to shine and grow bright in my Alabama sky.  I pause, and then stop to observe this sleepy scene unfolding before my eyes.  The location is White Plains, just off Highway 9 in Calhoun County, Alabama.  It is was a quite and peaceful time I spent standing in the ditch next to this dirt road watching as the moon makes his unhurried and gentle trip through the heavens.  No breeze was blowing, no animals were stirring and for a few moments no cars were roaming the roads as I examine this cotton field resting in front of me.

        Resting is just as important to us as it is to a cotton field.  We live in a world that is constantly making tremendous demands upon us and our time; we are desperately active with a thousand voices clamoring for our attention, and a thousand causes competing for our support.  We have jobs, rent to pay, kids, clubs, chores, cooking, cleaning, mowing, hobbies, email, and many more all asking for a chunk of our time.  With all these good things clamoring for our attention, we have no time to rest because we are too busy.    We are so hectic and full of activity that we do not even notice that our yields are getting smaller as we continue to get weaker.

        Renewal and restoration are not luxuries.  They are essentials.  Being alone and resting for a while is not selfish.  It is Christ like.  Taking your day off each week or rewarding yourself with a relaxing, refreshing vacation is not a weakness; it is strength.  There is absolutely nothing enviable or spiritual about a coronary or a nervous breakdown, or is an ultra busy schedule necessarily the mark of a productive life.  Let us beware of the barrenness of a busy life.  Remember, the best time to relax is when you don’t have time to relax.

Something to think about:

• Our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in “muchness” and “manyness,” he will rest satisfied.

• Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it.

• Slow me down, Lord; I am going too fast. I can’t see my brother when he’s walking past. I miss a lot of good things day by day; I don’t know a blessing when it comes my way.

• Don’t hurry, don’t worry. You’re only here for a short visit. So be sure to stop and smell the flowers.

• We move through life in such a distracted way that we do not even take the time and rest to wonder if any of the things we think, say, or do are worth thinking, saying, or doing.

• You have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.

• No sleep can be tranquil unless the mind is at rest.

Your tired buddy
Rickey Moore