By Chris Bates
We were building a gazebo in July in Mississippi. The heat was oppressive, and it was a cloudless weekend without a wisp of wind. In those conditions, just standing outside can be draining, but we were constructing a slab with no shade while working with metal, large timber posts, and sheets of tin roofing. A couple of fans and a bottle of sunscreen offered only moderate relief.
It was a coming together of friends, neighbors, craftsmen and other people who are in addiction recovery with one mission in mind. The rear porch area of the main building at Harbor House Chemical Dependency Center was simply an open space with a concrete pad, which was certainly not inviting for relaxation or enjoyment. Being just outside of the rear door of the women’s unit, it had potential as a great area for a time out. The clients sometimes need a break from the process of consistently working on themselves and doing the work of finding sobriety and a new way of life.
As the project was completed after weeks of preparation and two full days of work by the crew, we circled together for a prayer of thanks and dedication. All involved were exhausted but elated. That prayer included gratitude for the facility and program, for each of the lives that are impacted by the services there, and most specifically for impacted hearts for the many souls who will find shelter, shade and rest under this new structure.
We all need shelter, shade, and rest. Today’s pace of life is too fast, and distractions are constant. Psalm 91 includes, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.’”
In truth, the adjustment of the pace of life is only part of the answer. One of the great rewards promised to us through the Word is entirely fulfilling rest. It is rest in Him, knowing that despite the world and life on life’s terms, we are under the shelter that takes care of our souls.
Chris Bates is CEO of AgoraEversole, a full service marketing agency in Jackson, and can be reached at Chris@AgoraEversole.com. He and his wife, Stacy, live in Madison and have adult children and three grand boys.