Danny was a man who lived with Down Syndrome. One day, after Danny returned home from visiting his heart doctor, a friend asked him where he had been.

“To see the doctor,” Danny replied.

“And what did the doctor do?” his friend asked.

“He looked into my heart,” Danny said.

“And what did he see there, Danny?” his friend continued.

“He saw Jesus,” said Danny.

“And what was Jesus doing?” his friend asked.

Danny paused, smiled and looked away. Then he responded, “Jesus was resting.”

Danny named two profound things about God in that moment: that God was with him, and that God rests. Jesus showed us that in his life on earth. In the Bible we read how Jesus stopped to tell people stories, to answer people’s questions, to bless children, to talk to people, to heal people, and to pray.  Pray today for the ability to see how and where God is calling you to rest from your own activities to rest in those spaces that God has prepared for you.   

Question to ponder:
Swinton writes, “The redemption of time has to do with turning time from an overbearing ruler into a gentle friend” p.76. How does slowing down remind us, and show others, that God is with us?

This week’s devotions are adapted for intergenerational use from the book, Becoming Friends of Time: Disability, Timefullness, and Gentle Discipleship by John Swinton. Baylor University Press, Waco. 2016.