Greetings from Egypt! Thank you for your continued prayers for our missions team. God is doing a great work in the Middle East, and it has been encouraging to see the launch of our new campus in Fayoum. I look forward to sharing pictures and details with you when our team returns to Austin.
This weekend marks the beginning of Spring Break. We will “spring forward” our clocks this Sunday for daylight savings, and many will also be springing forward to vacations and plans for rest. I know our students are especially looking forward to this week, but of course not everyone will get a break in the coming days. Business will carry on and next week will be rather ordinary for most adults. However, I want to remind you that you could find some rest this week even if you aren’t going on a vacation.
Jesus tells us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). True rest doesn’t come from a hotel or a spa, although they certainly can help. True rest comes from resting in the presence of Jesus Christ. That rest is available 24/7 and 365 days a year. It doesn’t require paid time off or early reservations. It simply requires you to slow down and spend time with Him.
How can you connect with God differently this week? Maybe you could go on a prayer walk to spend some time talking with just Him. Maybe you could set some time for intentional Bible study and journaling. Or perhaps you could turn on some worship music and sing praises with no one else around. Maybe the best thing you could do is turn everything off for just a few minutes and be silent with Him and away from the noise. These kinds of disciplines will give you far more rest than any vacation ever could. Take a spring break even if you don’t have a spring break. Seek the right kind of rest and see how Jesus begins to reinvigorate your soul.
Onward and upward,
Jonathan Spencer
www.jonathanspencer.org 