Take A Real Break

I got home from a non-stop, hardworking day today, ready just to chill out and listen to some of my favourite instrumental music with no words to distract or annoy me. But when I walked through the door I found that Junior Gilpin, today preferring the acoustics of our house, was home, playing and singing loudly. As I’m a kind father and didn’t want to disturb him I decided to go upstairs to find space to chill out – only to find that the ever-industrious Mrs Mindmap had chosen today to spring-clean that part of the house.

I had to choose a compromise – I sat between the two of them being alternately distracted by the hum of the hoover and my son’s more passionate vocals. I was ready to be annoyed, and my trains of thought were heading very definitely towards self-pity and self-righteousness. Didn’t they realise I had had a very stressful day and needed to rest? The noise was just making me more stressed – and this was meant to be my own home, my place of relaxation!

But then I remembered a verse I’d read that morning. “My soul finds rest in God alone.” (Psalm 62) I started, begrudgingly, to remember the good things that God had done for me. To remember how brilliant He is, that He is my shelter, my protector, my biggest fan. That He has plans and purposes for me, that He will look after me. And as I did, my trains of thought started to re-route to the city of peace and to the river of gladness.