Rest...even in the Holiday Season

In our community group this past Sunday we studied Psalm 127 and I found a new favorite verse that I have been meditating on.
It is Psalm 127:2 and it reads in the NLT:

It is useless for you to work so hard
from early morning until late at night,
anxiously working for food to eat;
for God gives rest to his loved ones.
And the NIV says:
It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.

What a beautiful picture! God has been so good to teach me about rest lately. He has done this in so many ways, through books, and different verses in His word so it would make sense that this verse jumps off the page at me. Sense having baby number three, I so often feel exhausted. I love my kids and I would not desire my life to be any different, but I get tired. I get burdened by my daily tasks and it is hard to do them with a cheerful heart. I also feel sometimes like I spend all my time meeting the basic needs of my family and that I don't do anything of significance. And this is where the enemy attacks me...in my thought life. I think what I am doing does not matter, that it is not significant in God's Kingdom, but then I remember that as Psalm 127:3 says, that children are a gift of the Lord. These 3 beautiful children are what God has given me on a daily basis to invest in for the glory of His kingdom. Sometimes I think that it would be so rewarding to have a specific "ministry". To have some people in my life that don't know Jesus, but really want to, and to get to spend time encouraging them and watching them grow in their faith. And then I remember...GOD HAS GIVEN ME THREE OF THOSE PEOPLE IN MY VERY OWN HOME. I don't have to go seek them out, they live with me, they are 3 of the most special people in the whole world, as far as I am concerned. When I have this perspective, my heart is more aligned with God's and I can serve them, love them, cuddle them, and even discipline them with a cheerful heart. I get to talk about Jesus with these 3 kids as much as I want and they are excited to have these conversations. They are excited to learn and like all human beings they have hearts bent towards worship. As I point their little hearts to Jesus we get to worship together. I have Aidan who loves to try to understand big concepts, like the Trinity and Satan. I have Rebecca who points out the wonder of God's creation by taking note of the pink sunsets and the stars in the sky. And I have Andrew whose precious smile and laughter can bring joy to any situation. We get to sing to God to our hearts content. God's good gifts provide me a place to serve Him, a place to worship Him, and with the right perspective give me a cheerful heart that is able to rest in Him.

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30:

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

God has shown me lately that when I am feeling burdened it is because I am working hard, spinning my wheels so to speak, based on my own burden...For His burden is light and His yoke is easy. When I sit as His feet and let Him teach me He provides rest for my soul.
By the way...This post was supposed to be about the unexpected ways God gives us time and rest, but as I wrote this is what came out. I guess this was what I needed to blog about today.