Sadness, Acceptance, Rest, Hope, Recovery, and God

Sadness is okay if that’s what’s true,

There’s nothing wrong at all with feeling oh so blue,

Hope’s made easier in dealing with the fact,

That we, with God, still have control over our act.

Acceptance of our state is truly blessed indeed,

Doesn’t mean we have to remain there only to bleed,

It helps us to ponder we’re trying our best,

Now best thing to do now is find space to rest.

***

Sadness can be a symptom of a deeper cause. It so often is. Sure, there are reasons for sorrow—real, undeniable reasons. Sometimes there are losses that smack us down for a season. Sometimes we are justified resting there, in the midst of, and in reaction to, the tragedy. Sometimes it’s all we can do.

Then there times when we choose to remain there; it’s comfortable. We desire to rebound, but maybe tomorrow. We put it off. That’s okay. If we are building toward something—a bigger vision of us—we take all the time we like.

But there is beauty and majesty and power in starting.

We sense it and we know it, even if we haven’t experienced it. We have seen evidence in others’ lives; in the lives of our heroes; we aspire for the same if not a similar thing.

***

Rest informs us if we’re doing it properly—yes, doing it. Remember the word “rest” is a verb. It’s a doing word. We need to secede from life to do it. We strip away every distraction and unworthy cause of thought. We get naked in it.

When we rest we learn to feel; to feel as God would have us feel.

When we feel our hearts beating in our chests and our thoughts of busyness give way to dreaming—allowing God to silently invade our consciousness—we are in that zone of zealous aloneness where the world fades and becomes, just for a moment, irrelevant. Healing takes place there.

One moment, one experience of this, and we are won to it eternally, as we live and breathe in this life, such is the immeasurable power of God.

This is power for hope. From rest—genuine rest—the activity of the antithesis of worldly activity—we have renewal, borne on the downy wings of hope.

***

Sadness can be the invitation to acceptance and, therefore, rest. God is involved when our rest rebuilds our hope and renewal is founded on visions of recovery. There is power in recovery. Trust it.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.