Resting can be exhausting! By the time we left Sower’s Middle School on our bikes, I was weary. We had loaded up the bikes on our unsteady bike rack, packed lunches, then driven over to church. We helped the tear down crew after service – our church meets in a school building, so we setup and tear-down for over 200 members each week. I say we in the general sense, but the truth is, I am rarely a part of tear-down.
I had my backpack slung on my back. Three books, which I didn’t end up reading, water bottles, and Lindsay’s bathing suit all filled the main compartment. It was my birthday. I decided I wanted to take a bike ride with Lindsay. We had Newport Coast in mind, but quickly decided that 20 miles was a little out of our range today. We settled on the ‘Wedge’, a corner of jeddy at the end of Newport Peninsula. This spot was famous among body surfers and boogie borders especially when there was a large swell. We stopped off at the church barbecue before we had gone very far. The notion of Sabbath and intentionally slowing down to rest did not necessarily mean solitude. We can enjoy rest with others too.
I kept wanting to talk to others about my plan for writing. I wanted to let them in on the journey that I was taking. It is rare that I find someone that connects on similar literature with any kind of intensity. Denny and Lauren get it. They will be leaving in less than a month to Montreal, Canada with their newborn. Denny will release his first cd later this month. Going to Montreal to study art, culture and social justice is definitely a risk for them. It goes against the practical steps to success. My plan with writing stikes a cord with them. Perhaps they see Lindsay and I embarking on a similar journey.
Lindsay had surprised me when I had woke up with a book called Sabbath. It was written by a Jewish Mystic and had been recommended to her by two different sources on the subject of slowing down or resting. I guess the Jewish writer offers some interesting insights about resting. We agreed to read it, as the situation presented itself, on the days we practice slowing this fall. We plan to set one weekend day apart to just be together and receive from God.
My idea for a bike ride as rest came from a high school youth pastor, who had dedicated his life to bringing purpose and meaning to youth in Huntington Beach. Lindsay and I saw him down in Newport once when we were on a date. He looked so relaxed; no shirt, sun-leathered skin, baseball cap, moppy brown hair and shades. He looked like an oversized teenager, but he spoke with a stilled wisdom. I kept that visual in my mind when I tried to envision resting today. The load on my back was a subtle reminder about my remaining questions with the Sabbath. I was trying to rest, but I still carried a burden.