On Rest
It was July 2007 and I had just landed in Buffalo, NY, for my high school class reunion and a few days in private retreat at the Abbey of the Genesee, a Cistercian monastery located just a few miles from where I grew up in Upstate New York.
This was a very different trip; I was undergoing reconstructive surgery following a mastectomy for breast cancer, my personal life was in turmoil, and I was struggling with what I thought was God’s call for me to travel internationally to do mission work. I was looking forward to having fun at my reunion, but I also needed to find answers to some very difficult questions in my life.
My plane landed late so I raced to grab my rental car, hoping I would make it to the Abbey in time for Vespers at 4:30PM. Traffic was light and I prayed that God would give me clear direction in my life. “What would my health be like after my surgeries? Was I really cured of cancer? Should I go on a mission trip in November to South Africa with a local Nashville church? What was the resolution to my tumultuous personal relationships?”
I parked at 4:20PM and hurried to a seat in the darkened chapel. My quick prayer only heightened the awareness of the anxiety in my heart.
Moments later, 33 monks began to chant Vespers, and I heard clear voices ring out from Psalm 62: “Only in God is my soul at rest, from Him comes my salvation.”
The answers were clear. Only when I trust fully in God may I find rest. It was then that I started trusting Him and changing my life to bring Him glory.
I pray that you will also find comfort in Psalm 62…and He will give you rest.
Blessings,
Agatha