A Pillow for My Head

Read Mark 4:35-41

[Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on the cushion.
-Mark 4:38 (NRSV)

WHEN my husband and I got married, we hoped to have children right away. Soon our dream came true. Two children were born to us, and we adopted another; within five years we had three children under the age of four! I was filled with love and with gratitude for these blessings.

I also felt completely overwhelmed by an unending list of chores to accomplish. I asked myself, How can I nurture my children, take care of our household, and work full time? Every night I fell into bed, exhausted and not sure how I would get up in the morning to start all over again.

A wise grandmother took me aside. "Do you remember that Jesus rested?" she calmly asked. She reminded me that in between preaching and teaching, Jesus slept as he and his disciples sailed across the Sea of Galilee (Mark 4:38). Even as a windy storm rocked their small boat, Jesus gave his body the rest that it needed. Jesus wasn't absent from his responsibilities - responding as soon as his disciples cried out in fear - but he took time to rest, trusting that God was with him.

Now I try to find a few peaceful moments of renewal every day. During these times I rest, whisper a prayer, read, even put my head on a cushion. In these brief times of quiet, I am reminded that I can face the tasks ahead because God is with me.

by Susan J. Foster (Connecticut, USA)

If today we feel exhausted and tired, take a rest. Take a moment of quiet, a deep sleep maybe. A moment of our own. Do not listen nor care about the raging storm around us. Take a moment to rest, pray, listen to God's voice and enjoy the time in God's presence. And as soon as we wake up, we will be more focus and energetic even to calm the windy storm down...