Sunday, as the pastor was praying, I had a vision of God. There He was in all of His glory, this massive figure standing taller than any building or structure I had ever seen. I looked up and up and up, but failed to see the details of His figure because the noon sun was high in the sky, and I was being blinded by its intense light. I had been standing in the scorching sun for years and it's demands took a miserable toll on my fragile body. I was desperate for relief. Just as I was about to fall over from the weight of the sun, something began to spread across the earth behind God; it was His shadow. The shadow stretched for miles and miles both long and wide.
Finally, the shadow stopped growing and there I was, standing at it's edge. I was still positioned in the blazing sun, feeling it's effects on my mind and body. The sun represented deadlines, achievement, success, and perfectionism. It demanded that I stay ahead of the game, work hard at any cost, and make something of myself. The only thing the sun did not burn out of me was my worry, anxiety, anger, and selfishness; but, God had casted a gift before me which stirred new hope deep inside my heart. He was offering the gift of relief, peace, and sincere rest.
For years I stood under the weight of the sun, but now I was presented with a choice. I could stay in the sun and eventually die from it's vicious demands, or I could step over into His shadow. "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." Psalm 91:1. Never before had I viewed rest as a choice, or as a necessary part of fulfillment for my bones and soul. The only rest I had experienced was the collapse of utter exhaustion or the guilty rest of "should haves." People before me had said rest was for those who could no longer keep up or carry on.
There I stood on the brink of crossing over into peace and rest, holding my breath. I decided to step over into the shadow of the Almighty, and I instantly felt a cool breeze. My dry skin began to replenish with moisture and my aching, stiff bones began to move with ease. I said with a sigh of relief, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Psalm 91:1. I began to sing in the shadow of His wings. Psalm 63:7
I looked up and around and saw that the shadow offered me clearer vision. I could feel my anxiety and worry flake off of my mind and I watched it disappear in the wind. A warmth then filled my mind with assurance and peace. I had never before felt so rested, so whole. Life in the shadow of His wings saved me from the distress of the sun. Joy overflowed in my soul and then I looked beyond His shadow where I once stood. People on the outside of the shadow were either fainting from exhaustion or falling to their death. My mended heart began to break, my rested eyes filled with tears, and my clear mind began to think, "please come rest in the shadow."
