Rest.

I’ll start this off by saying, I’m not a Mary, I’m a Martha.

Short recap of the story: Mary is praised for sitting at Jesus’ feet, Martha’s scolded for being too busy and worrying about the little things (Lk 10:38-42). I always cringe at sermons on this passage because I’m not the sit-at-Jesus’-feet type of person, I’m a DOER! I have this incessant internal dialogue about how can it be fair, that the God who made me this way, scolds me for it? How did Jesus expect the food to get on the table??? Someone had to do something! I have to chew on this passage a bit more. Any exegetical wizards that have some light to shed, please feel free.

But I think the thought that helps me to reconcile myself to this passage is the image of waves on the ocean sand. There’s an ebb and flow. A back and forth. A time to be busy and a time for, sigh, rest. One friend wittily pointed out that my last name De Boer even points to that, there’s an “eb” in the middle of the “doer.” It’s a cute reminder

All that to say, my time here in India has forced me to sloooooow down. I think the past, oh let’s say, year and then some, has been a season of running, full speed ahead. Towards what? I think of the month I was home before leaving for India. Full of good things. FULL. That month is a bit of a blur. Maybe that’s what Jesus was getting at with Martha. What she was doing wasn’t “bad” or “wrong” but it was too much, all at once. So much that maybe she lost focus as to why she was doing it all.

As I wrote earlier one of the books I brought with me is Freedom of Simplicity. I’m all about living simply, I thought to myself as I purchased the book. But Foster writes about how simplicity is about more than possessions, it includes our schedules. Oooh, that doesn’t sound like fun…Foster quotes Thomas Kelly: “God never guides us into an intolerable scramble of panting feverishness…”   

And so, I find myself in India. And life is slower. For now

And it’s good.

I’ve had time to read. For FUN! Without feeling rushed or like I should be doing something else.

I’ve had time for sleep (did you hear that??).

I’ve had time for tea breaks.

I’ve had time to pray and journal and then pray and journal some more.

I know myself, and this is an “ebb” moment. Already I’m finding a few little things here and there, to do. There’s a Sunday School program I want to help out with on Sunday mornings. I’m leading a session at a retreat this weekend for the girls at the hostel. I’m looking into a few extra field site visits. And I don’t think that’s bad. Like I said, it’s who I am. But I don’t want my time in India to be a blur. I don’t want to get so busy that I can’t hear the whisper of the Spirit. I don’t want to run so fast that I miss the little moments that make for great memories.

Aste, aste.

• Angelina Jolie
• Anna Kournikova