Lent starts February 14, and so does the RESCUED Blessed is She Lent devotional. This year, you’ll be receiving an excerpt from the Lent devotional every day in your inbox (in lieu of our regular daily devo). We want to pray with one heart and one mind as the BIS sisterhood. If you prefer to have the book, purchase the 2024 Blessed is She Lent devotional RESCUED right here. Right upon purchase, you’ll receive a link to come into the free Blessed is She app to walk through the Lenten season with us in daily live prayer, small groups, and more. Together let’s look to the Lamb of God who came to rescue each one of us.
Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. // Mark 6:31
My young son was joyfully pointing to a nearby screen that was showing images of scenic vistas in Europe. We were sitting together in the mall food court eating Chipotle on a quiet weekday afternoon, and it was a very peaceful moment. As a mother of small children, these moments are not easy to come by.
Life can often feel like I am riding on a bucking bronco from one chaotic moment to the next. As we sat eating our lunch together, the Lord gently nudged my heart . . . Enjoy the rest that is available to you in this brief but beautiful moment. So I intentionally leaned into it—the quiet, the peace, the heart of the Lord. It wasn’t long, but I made it a rest.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus invites the Apostles: “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while” (Mark 6:31). They were so busy serving others they didn’t even have time to eat (sound familiar?). Jesus knows what they need is true rest, a rest that will refresh their souls so they can continue to love and serve.
What does Jesus’ invitation to you look like in the everyday for you, as you love and serve others in your work, your vocation, or your community? Notice Jesus does not say, “Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and scroll on your phones. Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and listen to a podcast. Come away by yourself to a deserted place and think about your to-do list.”
Instead Christ makes this same invitation to you: “Come away by yourself to a deserted place and rest a while.”
Sister, I challenge you to find a way to do this every day this upcoming week. Perhaps you have time to “come away and rest” for an hour every day. Perhaps you only have five-minute moments in between waves of chaos to enter into the stillness of His presence within you. Whatever amount of time you take, slow down in true quiet, be at true peace, and rest in His Heart. Even for a moment, you will find the refreshment you are seeking.
Emily Wilson Hussem planned her whole life to become a sports reporter but turned out to be a Catholic writer at the hand of God. The heart of her ministry is offering encouragement to women in living a counter-cultural life of joy. She is the author of two children's books, God’s Glorious Girl and God’s Brave Boy and Awaken My Heart, a devotional for women of all ages. Find out more about her here.
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