Sabbath Rest
By Sharon W. Betters
Today’s Treasure
But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41-42 NLT
Dear Friends,
My first connection with Robin Davenport was through a FB message (edited):
“Hi Sharon, I just finished your book, Aging with Grace. I have been so blessed by reading this book. Thank you for your insight and sharing your heart. My 37-year-old son passed away on 2/2/21 after his battle with frontal temporal degenerative brain disease (FTD or young onset dementia). In the beginning stages, we had no idea what was happening to him. He was married, had 2 beautiful girls, was working, was a student, and had just built his family a new home. Then it was all gone in a matter of months….while incarcerated, he was finally correctly diagnosed with FTD after being misdiagnosed with schizophrenia and depression. In young on-set dementia, the progression moves quickly. He was in the forensic unit for 20 months. During that time he lost executive functioning, was aggressive, lost his ability to talk (aphasia), and started developing swallowing issues. In August 2019, his father and I were able to bring him home with hospice services. I was blessed to be his fulltime caregiver for 17 months. Our story has been full of losses, but in the end, his ex-wife, daughters, sister, and my husband and I were gathered around him as he took his last breath and was carried by the angels into the bosom of Abraham. I understand completely what you said about trying to grasp God’s sovereignty with His love. When I began to understand the sovereignty of God in our son’s situation, I was able to accept his progressive and terminal disease. I held onto Jesus through this 5-year battle with everything I had in me. I wrestled and rested and wrestled and rested and did that over and over again. I feel like I am flourishing at this point. The 17 months with my son caring for his 6’3” 220 lb body, like one would care for a baby was a gift I cherish with all my heart. God is so good! He helped me to be able to release my son into his arms and He helped me and our family to heal…..”
Robin shared some of her story through the Help & Hope podcast, Early Onset Dementia, A Mother’s Journey
This week Robin joins us with thoughts on Sabbath rest, no doubt a critical piece of our her journey with her son. On Wednesday she encourages us to watch how Mary responds when her sister, Martha, demands that Jesus rebuke her for not helping. Robin writes:
“Mary had discovered the treasures of sitting still at the feet of Jesus listening to what he taught. Mary was not distracted but focused. She was not worried or upset but at peace as she sat still before her Lord. Mary could have reacted to Martha’s frustration by leaving Jesus’s feet to appease Martha’s accusations, but she chose to remain. Jesus protected Mary’s desire to sit at his feet and learn from him. He drew a boundary around Mary’s time of stillness before him and stated very clearly, “it will not be taken from her.”
What is our attitude in service? Are we like Martha who was so busy and distracted with preparing the meal for Jesus and his disciples that we become resentful of our sisters who have discovered the treasures of sitting still at his feet? There is nothing wrong with serving by preparing a meal. In fact, we are called to serve by feeding the hungry and providing hospitality. But when serving becomes a distraction from times of stillness before Jesus, our focus becomes our works which results in a whirlwind of emotional turmoil and resentment toward others.
The stillness Mary discovered at the feet of Jesus protected her. Mary does not speak one word during the exchange between Jesus and Martha. She does not justify her priorities to Martha, and she does not leave Jesus’s feet to appease Martha. She remains at Jesus’s feet under his protection as he speaks on her behalf.
Sabbath rest was instituted for us, a time to sit still before our Lord and learn from him. As we practice Sabbath rest, Jesus will protect our time at his feet. He will protect us from distraction, worrying about all the details, and resentment from others who have chosen work over times of rest.” (Robin Davenport, Wednesday, Daily Treasure)
Robin reminds us to make time to rest, even in the middle of turmoil, as a means to taste and see that our Lord is good and remember that He blesses the one who takes refuge in Him (Psalm 34:8). Oh to discover, like Mary, the treasures of sitting still at the feet of Jesus.
It is such a privilege to introduce you to Robin Davenport.
Treasured by Him,
Sharon
Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
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Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.