Rest

Well ladies and gentlemen...this is the topic of the day today...rest.

I must say, that this is something that I don't do enough. I like to go and do things. It does not matter what it is, I just like to do. Strengthfinders, a popular personality inventory, puts it like this:

Your Achiever theme helps explain you drive. Achiever describes a constant need for achievement. You feel as if every day starts at zero. By the end of the day you must achieve something tangible in order to feel good about yourself. And by "everyday" you mean every single day- workdays, weekends, vacations. No matter how much you feel you deserve a day of rest, if the day passes without some fore of achievement, no matter how small, you will feel dissatisfied. You have an internal fire burning inside of you. It pushes you to do more, to achieve more. After each accomplishment is reached, the fire dwindles for a moment, but very soon it rekindles itself, forcing you toward the next accomplishment. Your relentless need for achievement might not be logical. It might not even be focused. But it will always be with you. As an Achiever you must learn to live with you this whisper of discontent. It does have its benefits. It brings you the energy you need to work long hours without burning out. It is the jolt you can always count on to get you started on new tasks, new challenges. It is the power supply that causes you to set the pace and define the levels of productivity for your work group. It is the theme that keeps you moving.

I have always been driven, and it wasn't until about a year or so ago that I finally saw the downfall to that. But my first job- Jamba Juice- I was the youngest manager in the history of our district. I've been with DirectBuy for 5 years and have held almost every position there. In leadership circles, I am always found in the Director or similar spot. I have never settled for entry level. If I have, it has been only an inconvenient but necessary step to a higher role.

I think that only true Achievers can fully understand this. But it becomes this: Your value and self-worth is wrapped up in how much you can Achieve. You don't want to slow down, because if you stop producing, you stop being of value, and who wants that? So to stop doing things to take time out to rest seems very counter-intuitive, especially if said individual is a self-preserving, isolated person.

Yesterday, I took a day out to rest. It was one of the rare times in my life when I was actually exhausted enough to admit it to myself. That is a rarity. I slept in, drank tea, had some conversation with people, went to dinner, and went back to bed. I think I was awake for a total of 8 hours. Of course, it felt great and my body loved me for letting it stop for a day. I feel rested, and ready to achieve again.

My question is this- Is resting for resting's sake the goal? Or is resting as an investment to be a more efficient achiever ok? If someone's motive to rest is only as a "stepping stone" to higher levels, is that still rest? Let's get thinking friends.

Here's the secret to changing the world...

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. -James 4:13-14

The world map hanging on the wall behind me that my roommate (Joshua Erickson) helps drive this point further home. As much as my flesh may try and convince my mind that I am great, rich, powerful, influential...the simple fact is that I am alive in a world with a population of about 6 billion. In a given day, I may interact with maximum, 100 of these people. That is roughly .000000016% of the world's population. If I continue to interact with 100 people per day for the next 50 years, that is 1,825,000 people. Now we are at about .000304% of the world's population.

Now, this is a fairly essential point, and I want to put it into perspective, or at least make a vague attempt to do so. I have a hard time grasping what exactly .000304% means. Just how small is that? Well, if I continue with the theory that I will live to the age of 71, that is:

25,915 days

621,960 hours

37,317,600 minutes

2,239,056,000 seconds

I hope James had a good abacus...

That's how much time lapses between my first breath and last- if I live to be 71.

So let's take that figure of .000304%. If I were to only live that portion of my life, I will live 6309 seconds. That's 105 minutes, 1.75 hours, or almost one sixth of one day..... WOW. .000304% seems like no big deal at all now.

Keep in mind folks- this is on a timetable of 71 years. What about God- who is eternal. If I am so insignificant on my own scale- then what about an ETERNAL timeframe?

Truly, I am nothing.

So what do I do with this knowledge? Do I give up? Become apathetic because in the grand scheme of things I do not matter? Really, what's the point of even trying to do something great, to mass great achievements, or to even try and build a home or family? My estate has no value- it really is all just a vapor in the wind. I should just quit now, because what impact could I have?

Certainly not! I believe that there is a great positive in this statement. I don't think that James meant for us to become downtrodden and bedraggled. I think that there is a great humbling that come with this realization, and who couldn't do with a nice fat slice of humble pie every now and then? Rather- just think- can you think of 1 hour and 45 minutes of your life that were life changing? I know I can! I can think of several!

What if we did it this way? What if I impacted my .000304% to the best of my ability? What if you impacted yours? Together, that's 3,650,000. And- what if each and every one of the 3,650,000 people that we meet and impact go further and impact their own set of 1,825,000? Now you and I together have reached 6,661,250,000,000 people. I'll do the math again for you, friend. That means that you and I have managed to change the world and will continue to have an impact for the next 1,110 years. Over one millennium. That means that if we were alive in the year 900- our impact would have stopped only 13 days ago.

So no- I don't think that James meant for us to get down and out about this...I think that it is empowering! Look at one mist in the wind can do. Of course, the entire chapter before this is about submitting to God. So rather a better assessment would be- look at what one mist submitted to God can do.

I would very much like to hear your thoughts about this.

Praise

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. James 3:10.

If I praise God, but fail to see what is praiseworthy in His creation, then how valid are my praises? If I am truly see something that is worthy of praise, then everything that is similar to that thing should also inspire praise.

Here's to...

...New beginnings? Commitments? Resolutions? Who knows. All I know is this: in the past when I have tried to do a blog...it has failed. Let's make this one happen. I'm not very funny or witty, so I hope that my life will be enough to entertain you. Who knows what this will become...I promise you this: We will have a good time, if you, yes you- remain open minded. You see, minds are like parachutes- they work best when they are open.

For the time being- what do you think of this?

For all your days prepare,

And meet them ever alike:

When you are the anvil, bear--

When you are the hammer, Strike.

-Edwin Markham