I know God is making a point of teaching me about Sabbath rest in this season of my life.  I had been working on drafts of Full not Busy and Moving from My List to His, and I’d been reading The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan, which I reluctantly started when I didn’t have another book handy but is now one of my new favorite books.  And yet, two weeks before leaving for an overseas mission trip, my mindset was still, “I have so much to do; I need to power through my list.”

To make sure I was paying attention to the lesson He had for me, God graciously allowed me to sprain my foot so severely that I could not walk at all without crutches.  For three days, I could get almost nothing done!  A friend commented, “You’re leaving on a mission trip next week; of course you’re going to experience spiritual warfare.”  But actually, I didn’t think of it that way.  God knew exactly what I needed, and if that meant sitting in a chair instead of making preparations, I would trust Him with that.

In fact, sitting in my chair with my foot propped up on ice, I felt so cared for and covered by God.  First of all, it happened right before I sent out my prayer letter, so I could include my sprained foot on my prayer letter.  Almost everyone wrote back, “Oh, no!  I’ll be praying for your foot!”  A mobility-limiting injury resonated with most people more tangibly than bringing the love of Jesus to marginalized people, and I was grateful knowing that because of my foot, more people were praying over the trip!  I was also thankful for the timing in that a friend of mine brought me crutches within the hour of the injury and that I didn’t need them by the time I left.

(Thankfully, on the trip, though I was slower than usual, my booted foot did not keep me from doing what I was there to do.  In some ways, it helped me connect with some of the people I was with there, which I appreciated.)

I’m also grateful for God’s gracious gift to me of slowing me down, reminding me that He knows what I need, and for the sense of being so covered in His kindness.

I will tell of the kindnesses of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the Lord has done for us—yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.  Isaiah 63:7