Stopping, Books, and Joy
Hey Friends!
After being sick and not being able to write last week, it feels so good to be back! Having that extra time has given me more space to do some thinking and processing, and I can’t wait to share it all with you in the coming weeks!
Let’s jump in.
A Thought.
God will make you stop.
As I mentioned above, last week I got sick.
Though we’re still not entirely sure what it was, all I can say is that Thursday was quite miserable. In short, if I was sleeping, I was good. If I was awake…not good.
I remember waking up last Thursday thinking that I wasn’t feeling 100%, but I thought it would get better if I slept for a few extra minutes. I was wrong. I went quickly from thinking I could make it through the morning to knowing for sure that was not going to happen.
Regardless of how bad I felt, early in the day I was still trying to convince myself that I could get some work done in the process. I mean, I had a long list of to-do’s that needed to be done and there was no way I was going to be able to have a restful weekend if I didn’t have a really productive day.
There was a podcast to record. Classes to write. Videos to edit. Emails to send.
And yet, by 8am I was stuck in bed, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep so I might feel better—at least for a few minutes. No amount of work was going to get done that day.
Up to this point, I was on-the-go all the time. My days were getting longer and I was adding more and more to my plate. I was starting to feel the effects mentally and physically, but honestly I kept ignoring them, thinking that once the work was done I would be able to rest.
And then I got sick and couldn’t do anything.
Since then, I’ve been convinced that this was one of those moments where God had been trying to nudge me for a while to get me to slow down, but I had ignored basically everything. So in His kindness and love for me, He stepped in and intervened, making me stop in my tracks.
God will make you stop.
And it’s not because he doesn’t care about your to-do list or doesn’t want you to contribute and work hard and make a difference. It’s because he knows better than you do.
He knows that rest should come first, and you should work from the rest and not for it.
He knows your limits, even when you don’t recognize them.
And knows how deep his love is for you, even when you can’t see it.
A Resource.
Recently, a friend of mine asked for a list of five books that I would recommend that every follower of Jesus should read. It took me a while to come up with this list, and honestly it will probably change a bit in the coming weeks. But here are five books that I think you should read if you’re a follower of Jesus (or even if you’re not). I’ll write another post in the future about each of these, of you can check out my YouTube channel where I plan to make individual videos about each of them.
If you’d like to pick up a copy of any of these books, just click the title and you’ll be taken directly to where you can get one.
In the Name of Jesus, Henri Nouwen
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer
How to Pray, Pete Greig
Surprised by Hope, N.T. Wright
The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis
BONUS: If you want a beautiful copy of the Bible that will last you for a really long time, check out the Premiere Collection from Zondervan. Trust me, the investment is more than worth it—and it would make an AMAZING GIFT for someone you love this Christmas!
A Verse.
“The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
- Philippians 4:5-7 (NRSV)