This weekend and the previous two have been the busiest and most fun-filled weekends of the year. I know that some of you glancing at this column are part of the hard-working volunteers who have made all this possible. We say thank you for your amazing efforts.
There are others of you who have traveled great distances to be here for your vacation time, and we’re glad you could join us for the festivities. And there are others of you who live along the North Shore and just know that these are events you don’t want to miss. Thank you to you all.
Soon however the shows, races, competitions, picnics, fireworks, pow-wow and rendezvous will all draw to a close and the hectic pace will slow down, at least until the next festivity. But eventually life in Cook County will regain its usual pace.
And I am guessing that many people will need to give themselves time to rest and recuperate after all the positive stress of producing and participating in the fun. Rest and recuperation is what I want to recommend. It is good for your spirit.
Several years ago I was privileged to hear Rev. Trevor Hudson, a pastor in Benoni, South Africa, and a leader in the movement toward reconciliation in that country. His preaching will long stay with me.
One of the important gems I heard in his presentations in relation to spiritual formation is something we all know, but we probably all have benefited by numerous reminders to practice it. This column is one more of those reminders. We all need to take time for our spirits. Faith in Jesus and conversations with our heavenly Father are not done best on the run.
One could practice a prayer on the go; I’m not saying it is impossible or that it won’t work. But our spirits benefit from the quiet times and spaces. Rev. Hudson noted how Americans from the United States have contributed a phrase to the English speakers of the world. “Driven.”
He said people would describe their interests or their passions as something that “drives” them. He said he noticed shelves of books about being “purpose-driven,” “mission driven,” “value-driven,” and similar topics. He said they don’t use the phrase in the same way in his country.
For him the first image is of automobiles, not of forceful people or strong determination. Then he shared a lesson he learned from his father when he first started learning to drive a car. His father held the keys up in front of his son and said, “The first thing you need to know in driving cars is…how to stop!”
Trevor said he more than chafed at this bit of advice and wanted to grab the keys and go. How many of us in younger years would have had the same feelings of impatience? Then years later he heard himself say, as he held car keys up to his daughter, “The most important thing you need to know in driving cars… is how to stop.”
We all need to stop…and pray. We all need to stop… and give thanks. We all need to stop…and admire. We all need to stop…and appreciate. We all need to stop…and give praise.
In fact, we all need to stop…. and rest. You probably noticed the Lord even put that pattern into the manual for the good life; you’ll find it listed under rule number three: “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.”
You probably noticed that Jesus practiced this even more frequently than just weekly. Our Lord made a practice of taking time for the spirit. The disciples gave testimony to the importance of prayer. And how many of our own families and friends can testify to the importance of slowing up to spend time with God. Can we paraphrase that driving instruction Rev. Hudson received and say, “The first thing you need to know in living life well is how to stop”?
And so I thank all of you once more for all your work and effort and dedication. You deserve a break! I invite you to put on the brakes and give yourself some time and give your heart to God.
Each month a member of the Cook County Ministerium will offer Spiritual Reflections. This month our contributor is Reverend Mark Ditmanson of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Grand Marais.
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