Rest is Essential

Two weeks ago, I read a blog post in Jeff Goins’ webpage about rest and how important it is for the creative process. I encourage you to read the article here. Just this weekend, my family and I went to a hotel in Bavaro–the perfect timing (since I’ve just started my college vacations) and the perfect excuse to go catch some rest. It was a little hard for me, because I still felt that there were things I needed to do; but it was well worth it. I feel so much more renewed and relaxed, and being rested makes you so much more productive in all aspects, not just creatively.

Here is my weekend in photos:

On our way to the hotel, my family and I visited the Basilica at Higüey, a very important religious (Catholic) monument in our country.

People usually go there to see the shrine built for The Virgin of Altagracia [literally translated High Grace] and light her candles to thank her for granted requests or to make a petition. If only they knew that the Child she gave birth to is the one who truly has power to give us far more than we need or expect; He is the one in whom our faith must be placed.

We enjoyed sunny weather, under the shades of palm trees.

I ate a lot, and it was yummy.

Hung out at the beach. (Who wears jeans to the beach?–You might wonder… This pic was taken right before leaving to go home.)

We rode in a high speed boat that would take us to the other boat where we would do parasailing in the middle of the ocean. It was a bit scary, but exciting and fun!

We swam and plunged into the pool.

I even had a little Segway ride!

It was quite a fun, relax weekend, free from the networking craze and responsibilities. I did not use my computer! Well… maybe a little bit, but I promise it was for less than 30 minutes! Does that count?

I rested well. I’m a happy girl!

“On the seventh day God had finished His work of creation, so He rested from all his work.”   -Genesis 2:2

Service through another lens

Sometimes we limit service to charity events, mission trips, Sunday school or any other stuff we can do at church. And yes, all these things are part of service. But lately, I’ve been discovering a new kind of service that goes beyond me in action.

Recently, my family and I got a new camera, the Nikon D5100.

It was a bit surreal for me because I didn’t think I would own a DSLR right now. In my life plan and in my mind, I would not get this camera any time soon. But the Lord somehow managed to surprise me and give me  just the camera that I wanted so much earlier than I would’ve ever expected. I was and still am thankful. Now, there are two ways in which I could’ve decided to use my camera:

I COULD’VE BEEN OVERPROTECTIVE OF MY CAMERA, and rightfully so; you know? It’s more expensive than a regular camera, and I want to keep it in its best condition for as long as possible. This doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t use it for church service, but it meant that I would be the only one operating it.

OR

I COULD’VE BEEN DETACHED and made it available for the service in the church. That meant that maybe I would not be the only one using the camera. That meant that I might be lending the camera to someone else to use at church events, etc.

I decided to make this God-given camera completely available to my church. If God gave me this camera in the first place, and  so much earlier than I thought, why would I be selfish about it? There must be a reason why He gave it to me. Besides, all material possessions fade away. No matter how much I take care of it, it will end up breaking down.

You know what the funny thing is? The moment I decided to let it go and give it completely to God, He opened up doors for many opportunities where the Nikon could be used for eternal purposes. The camera arrived to my hands the first weeks of June, and ever since, it’s been used more for church activities than for my own personal use. And I’m fine with that!

During this month and a half, we’ve had a three-day Conference with speaker Paul Tripp, our annual youth camp, and a week-long medical outreach with the GHO team and a team from Sovereign Grace who flew in to serve. Two of these events are the most important events my church has in the year and require a lot of planning. All these events have been covered with my camera (not necessarily by me), and I couldn’t have thought of a better use for it.

My church does have a camera, and I could use that as an excuse to keep it to myself. But I know that the photos will turn out better with my camera. Shouldn’t I then strive to do everything–especially church service–in the best way I can, remembering that I’m doing this for God?

Be detached, especially when it comes to serving God! There were moments when I wasn’t able to go to that church event I was supposed to cover, and someone would ask for my camera to take the pictures. I had to make a decision: selfishness or detachment. I decided to be detached, and it has proven to be very rewarding so far. In my case, I had to get detached from a camera. Your case can be different, you might need to get detached from something else. But don’t be afraid to give your things away for God’s service; that’s the best way any material possession can be invested. And the Lord rewards a willing heart.