“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” // Matthew 11:28
I walk a dusty old path full of towering oaks and magnificent mountains. I walk mainly for the
purpose of exercise, to feel my heart steadily pump as my chest rises and falls with the rapid pace of my feet. I walk right past beautiful wildflowers and cheerful woodpeckers and try to take note of their splendor as I scurry on.
Rarely do I ever stop. Rarely do I allow myself to sit and rest in the life exploding all around me.
This day I did. I sat in solitude on a park bench and stared in amazement at the beauty of life. I stopped, if only for a moment, to rest and to receive.
It made me wonder how often our relationships with Christ reflect the frantic pace of the world, how much we scurry past His promise in order to meet our goals or answer demands, the burdens on our backs piled high as we huff and puff and bulldoze right through the gifts He has set out for us.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
I know the instinct of anxiety. I know how it causes you to work harder and do more and push limits. But God promises us rest for our weary souls. We need only to slow our pace enough in order to receive what He has ensured. We need only Him.
Sister, I don’t know what sort of burdens you’re carrying or if the weight of the anxiety is frenzying. Slow it down, dear sister. Give it to Him. He will give you rest.
Brittany Calavitta is an enthusiastic advocate for a good book, strong coffee, and a hopeful heart. After battling years of infertility, she and her husband welcomed their first child on September 11, 2016. While balancing time between life with a preschooler and a husband who travels for ministry, Brittany dances professionally all over Southern California where her family currently resides. She was a contributing author to Here Too: Where We Find God and Made New: 52 Devotions for Catholic Women. Find out more about her here.
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