“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 NIV
Rest
British Columbia has more than 200 rest areas available for motorists, many with scenic lookouts and trails. All rest areas are equipped with garbage cans and the majority have picnic tables. All have toilets – ranging from classic rustic pit toilets to compost toilets, to full-flush facilities. The B.C. provincial rest area map shows locations, amenities, vehicle restrictions, operating hours of rest areas, and whether rest areas have electric vehicle charging stations. Rest areas are typically located on major highways where alternate commercial services are generally not available.
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We live in a day of perpetual exhaustion. I was speaking to a young mother the other day and she was telling me she and her husband are so tired by the time they get the kids into bed at night that they hardly speak to each other. I remember those days. Sometimes, the exhaustion comes from being busy with work, chores, family responsibilities, and even sports and leisure. But there is another kind of weariness as well. It isn’t physical, but emotional and spiritual. Jesus understood this, as He lived His life among the people in His day. He had compassion for them in their weariness and exhaustion, and so He said this to them, and us, in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” I love the tender stories in the Bible where the disciples are resting with Jesus. We need to learn to do the same. He invites us to come to Him with our weariness and burdens – when was the last time you did so? He will always carry those burdens and offer His rest to those who will come to Him in need, and in faith.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley