Taking time out!

It's been a funny (strange!) old day.  Yesterday, I had sent two separate e-mails (in beautiful French, of course) to the garage in which my car had lain for a full two months.  I had expected a reply by, at least, this morning.  However, I had no internet connection when I awoke, and had to wait until about 1.00 p.m. before I was able to be re-connected!  Then, when I checked my e-mails, there was no message from the garage!

I sent off another e-mail and, praise the Lord, it was eventually answered with the wonderful news that the car was now ready for collection!  My friend Emeline drove me to Audincourt - and I was able to drive myself back! :-)  Tomorrow, I leave L'Isle and start the journey home - unfortunately without my navigator of more than 40 years!  It could be an interesting trip!

It was while I was awaiting the internet connection that I realised how totally helpless I was in this situtation.  I was, in a very real sense, completely dependent upon others - and had been for my time here.  Yet the time wasn't entirely wasted.  There is no doubt that the extent of my French vocabulary has improved, as has my spoken French (although I am still a long way away from anything resembling fluency!).  And I, who am usually such an active person, have been obliged to 'take things easy' in a way that would probably not have happened otherwise.

That's not a bad thing.  There is a well-known story about a man who is strolling through the woods when he hears a sawing noise. Investigating, the nature-lover sees another man perspiring profusely as he attempts to cut down a large tree."What are you doing?" the observer asks.   "I'm cutting down this tree, can't you see?" is the response."No, I mean, it looks like you have been working hard. How long have you been doing this?"   "Two hours."  "Why don't you take some time to sharpen the saw? It will make things go much faster and easier." "I don't have time to do that - I've got to cut down this tree"!!!

Sometimes, we simply have to take 'time out'.  Even the Almighty took time to rest after the wonder of Creation (Gen.2:2).   He gave the original command to have one day in seven as a day of rest and recuperation (Ex.20:8) - and not as a restriction, because later Jesus declared that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mark.2:27).

Jesus demonstrated this need to take time to 'sharpen the saw' as He often went off to a solitary place, there to spend time in prayer, and in a close communion with the Father - and that in spite of the many demands that were being made upon Him!   So, I guess that if He needed to take time to rest, we ought to do the same - being careful not to go to the other extreme of doing nothing at all!