The importance of remembering rest

I am a very systematic person, so when I sit to study God's Words I do it through systems.  I don't often do topical studies as I find it very hard to keep the context of each writer in perspective.  Each book of the Bible, while today's followers use it to learn from, where in fact not initially written for us.  The writer had certain situations and a specific group of people in mind as they wrote.  When doing a topical study I have a hard time getting things straight in my mind.  Instead I read book by book focusing on the context of one book at a time.  There are many times I feel the need to dig deeper in those times I search the Bible as a whole to fully understand.  I research.  It is good. 

As I spent time in Budapest I was drawn to the windows as I felt they showed a bit of the soul of each of the designers.

These days I am reading Hebrews and for some reason this book of the Bible is a very confusing book to me.  As I'm here in this fog I see the need to research.  I'm finding that this book is just what I need in the now of life as it is pushing me to be a better follower of Jesus.

Chances are good that Hebrews was written to a group of people that were thinking about blending two different beliefs together, however Jesus says that only through Him can one enter the gates of Heaven.  Therefore the writer felt compelled to be reminded the people of the superiority of Christ.

In chapter four the author begins to speak of rest.  As I searched both the writers of old and the writers who Knew Jesus personally I was reminded of four things about rest.
1.  There will come a day when because of Jesus' death and Resurrection I will find a true rest where there will be no more pain.
2.  Until that day as I rest one day a week I need to remember it is not just for physical reasons, but it is also a day to remember the promise of the future.  In this remembrance my soul should rest from the pain and hardship life brings.
3.  All of life has a spiritual aspect that points to the Maker and His Son, if I am willing to see it.
4.  Because I am a friend of Jesus even the difficulties that life hands me is a little piece of Hope.

So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.

~ Hebrews 4:9

A season of small

Everything is a season, right? 
Are not all season good?
Here is how I came to a season of small...

All pictures are of the Andrassy Castle in my Hungarian home town.

I once had this dream. I would be a missionary. Since I loved to organize that would be my job. First I would start small organizing work assignments for others and then organizing whole departments and then going all over the world from one campus to the next organizing. I wanted big. What little I tasted of this dream it was good, so very good.

Welcome to the Castle Foyer.

 

My last two years in Hungary I began having another dream. This dream was much, much smaller. It went something like this: I dreamed I would move back to Maine somehow buy a big old house. Actually I had my eye on a big old victorian style house where I could have broken people who needed a place of spiritual rest and healing come live life with me. It was small. If it ever happened I knew it would be good. But big was what I wanted. I had already tasted it, being totally and fully energized by the work I did. I knew big was for me. I knew God had made me to do big things. It was going to be good.

 

Little did I know God would take all my finances away sending me back to Maine. In turn leading me to a man who had the same small dream I had allowing us, to together, begin following this dream.

Dear, dear friends that words can not describe my love for each of these people.

Recently I had the chance to step back into my big dream life doing the same work I had done in the past.  Let me tell you it was good.  It was energizing and refreshing.  When you're surrounded by people who dream big how can you not be energized.  As much as I thrived off of it I learned big is not for me. I want small.  I want the details of life.  I want to intimate relationships with people who are fighting to live a normal life dealing with the daily junk that is handed to them.  I want to be with the abused, and broken.  I want to serve the poor.  I want to help grow those who have just been introduced to my bestie, Jesus.  I want small.  I want daily.  I know it is good.

 

 

 

 

Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.  Be hospitable to one another without complaint.  As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

~ 1 Peter 4:8-11

Home.

I'm a processor and I'm still processing the three weeks I spent in Hungary.  My perspective on much of life has changed and soon I'll write more on that, but for now, I'm happy to be with my three men.

Kid size mugs & chocolate eggs with a toy inside.  The boys loved it.

The first few days were very much like the movie, "It's a wonderful life" after I arrived home.  Even though I was there it was more like looking through a window watching all that was going on inside.  The two hoolies had grown more then I anticipated.  Strong man knew where things were kept leaving me to be the one asking where this is and where that is for everything.  (In case you forgot the men moved while I was away.)  To hear, sit, and listen to stories from each of them I realized that all three of my men had grown and changed in some way.  To be honest I was a bit sad to realize I had missed being apart of this growth.

A few nights after I had arrived home as I was tucking Man of the woods into bed he asked his first question about my trip.  It was the last thing I would have ever thought he would ask me, "Mommy, tell me about your friends in Hungary."  He didn't care about the Castle or my adventures just the people.  I smiled as I want my boys to always put relationships first.

Not only are wood stoves useful for heating, but also for roasting marshmallows.

I also realized I had forgotten just how wild my smallest boy really is.  The innocent messes he gets himself into.  One day while eating french fries he decided to try some of his brothers mayonnaise on his fry.  After he dipped the fry he began talking holding it close to his face, a little too close actually, as he smeared it all over.  Instead of crying as he would have three weeks ago he calmly asked for help cleaning it off.  He then switched hands and continued on in his conversation to do the exact same thing on the other side of his face.  Completely innocent, never trying to make a mess and yet finding himself in two just in the matter of minutes.  A very mild predicament for this boy, but still a good reminder as to how he keeps me on my toes.

It is good to hold little hands and to be the center of these boys affection.  After church this past week Laughter gave me a kiss followed with, "I kissed you because I was thinking about you while I made this picture for you."  And Man of the woods today at lunch said, "Momma maybe there are other women who love Jesus just like you and have lived in Hungary that I could marry when I grow up."

It is good.
Motherhood is good.
Being Strong man's wife is good.
Home is good.
Right where I'm at is good.

 

I have also learned more of the love of God.  Isaiah writes, "A mother may forget her child, but God never will" (Shandy's version).  I can't imagine forgetting my child and to know that The King of the heavens and the earth's love runs deeper for me then my love for boys.  This thought kind of blows my mind. 

A walk through a village or two.

Y'all know I'm in Hungary, but let me show you around a bit.

Grandma with the Hungarian flag.

Welcome to my home town in Hungary!  Shall we take a walk?

As you walk the outside of the village this is what you see.  A lot of farm lands.

Dirt roads are common.  To the left you can see a bit of wall that belongs to the castle (We'll do a tour of that another day).

 

A home.  the directors to be exact but it's a common village home.  Just like the in the states there are amazing homes, average homes, and run down homes.  This is an average looking home.

Catholicism is the the national religion.


Notice the pool signs & the camping signs. 
Funny how these were here before a restaurant, ATM, and still no gas station.

Welcome to the sweet shop or the Cukraszda:

Not from the Cukraszda, even better made by a friend.  One of my favorites.  I just had to show it to you all.

And now leaving my village. 

But we're heading to a bigger one two villages over.

 

 

Welcome to Nagykata.

 

The sign for Penny market is hiding behind the tree, but this is a real grocery store.  While Toalmas has plenty of small stores that carry just about everything this is a true grocery store.

There are two gas stations here.

Remember my szalonna friend, well she also has a talent of sharpening knives in the back of a car while at a gas station.

The library.

Welcome to my favorite restaurant in Nagykata.

A traditional reformed church:

 

 

Thanks for the walk.  I hope you enjoyed it.