Matthew 11 v28
I woke early on Saturday morning, opened the curtains in the bedroom and looked out at the scene before me. Immediately I felt deflated and despondent. What lay in store was an incredibly busy day filled with things that I really didn’t want to do. I surveyed the garden, which was the first task for the day. What I saw was a total mess. Leaves strewn about the place, creating clutter and disorder. The remains of this years perennials needing cutting back and weeds everywhere. For me, a person who needs to have everything in its place, this was total chaos, a complete mess, a catastrophe.
As I opened the bedroom window to let in a cool refreshing breathe of wind. Suddenly my spirit soared, as the cool air struck my cheeks, it was as if the Holy Spirit had breathed life into me despondency.
‘Come to me all who are exhausted and weighed down with burdens and I will give you rest’.
With these words ringing in my head, I looked out once more over the scene before me. Now instead of focussing on the negatives a new outlook began to immerge. In the chaos and mess, I began to see a natural beauty. I watched as a leaf dropped off one of the trees and gradually made its way to ground. It drifted in an effortless way, completely free.
It was then that I realised, the freedom that Jesus brings. As the garden took on a new carefree beauty, I realised this was what Jesus intended for each of us. He longs to take away our fears, the burdens and worries that weigh us down. He wants us to be free to worship him. In a sense to be free like the leaf and my garden, to take on the natural beauty that comes from spending time abiding in him and allowing him to give us rest.
He offers us freedom from the things that get in the way of our relationship with him. We need to cast those stumbling blocks on to Jesus and allow him to give us his rest and peace.
The next time you feel under pressure, take a look out of the window and allow God’s creation to speak to you about the depth of his love for you.