July 23, 2010
Taking the Time to Make a Difference
A rainy day in summer, a time of grace
BY PAUL R. LEINGANG
(Listen to Paul read this column | Weekly podcast)
It wasn’t a “holy day” — nor was it a complete “day of rest.” But it was a rare afternoon when the rain, and God’s abundant blessings, poured down upon us.
On a recent Sunday afternoon, after church and before the evening commitment to attend a fundraiser, dark clouds blew over us and rain came in waves on the wind.
It was no time to do yard work, which would have had some benefit for our house, or to take a walk, which would have had some physical benefit for our health.
Instead of finding something to do, my wife and I decided on a better course of action. Or rather, of inaction.
She took a novel. I took a biography and a crossword puzzle. We rushed through the rain to a sheltered backyard haven for a few hours of relaxation.
It is a sad reality that this experience is so rare that it is memorable.
We sat, outdoors but protected from the rain, comfortable and secure. I recalled Sundays as a child in times when we really did keep the day holy, when Sunday was a day of rest, and when rain on any day meant no work on the farm or in the field.
I never did finish that crossword puzzle, and I read only a few pages of that biography. But I did watch the rain fall on the backyard, and the leaves of the holly tree move in the wind. It was an afternoon full of grace.
* * *
I know that on that same Sunday, a pastor of a nearby parish had an early morning Mass for people who work in restaurants. A day of rest for some often means someone else has to be available to work and to serve.
I know that on the same Sunday afternoon, there were people who went to visit parents in nursing homes, where caregivers down the hall were ready to help with whatever was needed for comfort or security.
I know that there are anxious parents at the Ronald McDonald house who are staying near a hospitalized child.
* * *
The Gospels are full of busy times and deserted places, of ministry punctuated by times of withdrawal, activity balanced by prayer, assembled crowds and time alone.
It seems reasonable to withdraw from the crowds at the time when news spreads about the death of John the Baptist (Mark 6:15). Terrible news was in the air, and “people were coming and going in great numbers” so that Jesus and the apostles “had no opportunity even to eat.” That would be a time to “come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.”
Perhaps more surprising, though, is the account in Luke’s Gospel (Luke 5:16-17), when “great crowds assembled to listen to [Jesus] and to be cured of their ailments.” This was a time to minister, to teach, to cure, but Jesus “would withdraw to deserted places to pray.”
* * *
Two notions come to mind reflecting on these passages. One is looking inward, one outward.
Certainly we have the example from the Gospels that balance in life is needed, that it is important to withdraw from activity and pray. There are times, too, when the only thing of importance is to rest a while.
We also know that Jesus was willing to cure a man on the Sabbath, just as we know service work and ministry are required in our society, no matter what the day or the time.
* * *
Take the time to withdraw to a deserted place.
Take the time to help another have a time of prayer or a time of rest.
Find opportunities to provide respite for overburdened parents or the caregivers of elderly family members. Help provide recreation for the siblings of hospitalized children. Prepare a meal for a family with a newborn child.
The possibility of helping others in busy times is endless. All of us can make more of a difference if we make sure to rest a while.
Comments are welcome at office@cfm.org or the Christian Family Movement, P.O. Box 925, Evansvsille, IN 47706-0925