By Susan E. Richardson
Consider something different this New Year. Let author Kerri Weems suggest a new approach instead of resolutions and better time management: discovering God’s tempo for your life. Her new release, Rhythms of Grace, outlines reasons and process for looking at time a different way.
Weems starts with shalom, a Hebrew word that has more depth than our usual translation as peace. Instead, shalom evokes a deeper sense of rightness and balance, a wholeness God included in His perfect creation.
The Old Testament illustrates this balance with the Sabbath, which acts as a metronome for the week. The other holy days God designated further punctuate time with periods of rest and refreshment. Jesus then took this concept to the next step by inviting us to take up His yoke, one light and defined by grace.
The author then turns to specifics for today, pacesetters and peace stealers: regular activities that help us keep our rhythm or throw us off. She does a good job of making these things compatible with a variety of personality types, so anyone can benefit. She also continues to illustrate the difference between scheduling and God’s rhythm for you.
The last section gives practical guidelines for resetting your schedule, using principles from the entire book. Weems acknowledges her program is not a quick fix, but one involving a lifetime of learning. Since the goal is not performance and perfection, we all have time to discover a life of greater wholeness and better intimacy with God.
Susan E. Richardson is a writer, critique reader, and former Christian retailer with a passion for meeting people’s needs through the written word. You can reach her through her website at www.nextlevelcritiques.com.
