Seven Mile Sabbath

Yesterday, after a long work week, I took off out of the city and away from the busyness of life and technology to go hike the Panther Creek Falls trail with a group of friends.  I have been looking forward to this hike for a while because a.) Panther Creek has been on my "really want to do" hikes for a while, and b.) I hadn't had the opportunity to get up to the mountains much this summer and had organized this day trip to do just that.

I love hiking; I think I like getting out into nature in general but there's something about hiking that makes me feel happy.  Perhaps it's from my Boy Scout days and memories of treks to Philmont and camping trips; who knows?

And I mean, I love hiking (not just walking).  If there isn't some adventure to where we're going then I'm not all that into it.  Panther Creek Falls was that kind of adventure.  Rumor is that it's one of the most fantastic waterfalls in Georgia and I couldn't wait to get to it.

And, it lived up to it's billing.  It was strictly awe-inspiring.

I can't speak for everyone on my trip, but I definitely took some quality time relishing in the glory of the creation that I was witnessing.  What really caught my eye was watching the pattern of the water flowing down those huge rocks.  What I saw wasn't just a functional flow of water down a crevice in the rock... it looked as if someone was painting a masterpiece.  We can deconstruct nature into a series of natural laws through science, but science doesn't really explain the "awe-factor."  It doesn't explain why the power and beauty of creation causes us to stand in amazement.

A friend on the trip posted a few pictures to Facebook that appeared as we were driving home.  This one that I am showing you caught my attention.  I was swimming up to the falls to get a "massage" from the water, and in seeing how small I am compared to how giant the masterpiece was just got me thinking.  Not that I wasn't thinking about this before, but seeing the proportions really got me...

Wow - God is really amazing!

It wasn't just an intellectual thing.  It was a heart thing.  It's pretty cool to think that you know the person who created all of this; and that He likes me too.  It made me really happy.

It's kind of a "seven mile Sabbath" (the hike was 7 miles, if you're curious about the title).

A few weeks ago at a NorthPoint Singles Leaders Retreat (also a great time!), I was reminded that "Sabbath" (which is the fourth commandment God gave in the Ten) truly is two things.

• Take a break from my work.
• Focus my attention on God.

These are really important.  I mean, we honestly don't rest enough.  Our culture is WAY too busy sometimes, and it can (and does) cause us to lose focus on the one thing that really matters.  

I believe that, especially in white collar America, that we often fail to obey this command to break from our work and focus on God.  The danger in that is that, especially for us guys, it is really easy for our identities to get wrapped up in what we do and we become "human doings" instead of "human beings."    As much as I love my work in Marketing Automation, CRM, and Analysis... I really don't want my identity to be defined by how cool my Marketo campaigns are, or how insightful my reports to management are.  Those things, as good as they are, are not going to last forever.  There's always something new to add to the plate.  It's too easy to worry about maintaining all these things that, honestly, are temporary.  

Because at some point, every person's career will end and every company is going to close for business one day.  However, God isn't closing His doors and His kingdom and who we are in Him is much more valuable than what we work for in our 9 to 5. That's why we need Sabbath.  We need to find our identity in the one who made the stars; and reflect Him when we are making the donuts.  

We need Sabbath to let the eyes of our heart see that; because it's way too easy to get distracted when you're in the grind.  We need our souls to be refreshed with the knowledge that HE is the everlasting God.  That HE is running the world.  That HE is the author of an amazing story that starts and ends with HIM.  That HE has invited and included ME into that story.  HE is never going out of business.  My status as a child of God, which He gave me as a gift when I first trusted Him, will never be taken away.

When our hearts "get" that fact, we can rest.

And it's good.  

It's good to know that I'm not so huge, and that the creator of the universe who blows my mind with spectacles like this has He's invited me to call him "Dad."  It's good to know that my identity is that I am HIS.  

If that doesn't make your heart glad, I'm not sure what will :-)

So please take a Sabbath.  It will do your soul good.