Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. - Matthew 11:28
My Field Notes 7/17/2026, 10:03 pm, Yellowstone National Park, WY:
Waves licking shinny pebbles—whooshing water on repeat—light splintered by lodgepole branches—Molly plays chicken with the waves—glowing child in the dusk—the sky mirrors my watercolor pallet: yellow bleeding into pink, purple, and blue mixed with white—stars blink into the stretched canvas of sky—the night blankets the water and earth and us—was that a bear? No. Let’s go back. Time for bed.
One of the most common responses I hear when I ask, “how are you?” is BUSY. It’s summer and yet calendars are packed with activities, camps, vacation, and more. Even returning from vacation, I was asked, “What did you see? What did you do? What were the highlights?” We want to do all the things, see it all, get the biggest “bang for our buck.” Too often, we return from our trips exhausted and in need of a vacation, in need of rest.
This is how I used to vacation, but in the past few years, I am learning to do less. I am learning to say no. I am learning to rest. Over our two-week road trip to Yellowstone and family visits, we saw so much, but we didn’t do a whole lot. Which turned out to be a wonderful thing. Instead of packing in more geysers and springs after Old Faithful, we went back to the hotel and napped so we could stay up to see the stars. I could have taken more pictures and bought more souvenirs, but instead I rested.
In the gospel of Matthew, we hear Jesus say, “Come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Sometimes we are so tired this is all we can hear. Come. Rest. This is a gift, and invitation of acceptance and relief, but Jesus is not done yet. The passage continues, “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.” Jesus isn’t just inviting us to nap. Jesus is offering us freedom.
Set down your burden of perfection. Set down your burden of insecurities. Set down your burden of business. There is another way.
The way of Jesus is light. We don’t need to carry the world on our shoulders alone. Jesus shares the load with us. The world won’t stop spinning when we rest in Christ. Remember, even God rested on the seventh day and the world kept on spinning then.
The way of Jesus is gentle. We don’t need to try harder and harder. We can receive the grace of God, learning to extend that same grace to ourselves and others.
The way of Jesus is humble. We don’t need to brag about our busy lives anymore. We can make time to listen with openness and curiosity.
This is possible when we practice saying NO. Say NO to the burdens that keep you so busy, and say YES to resting in God. Say NO to your restlessness and say YES to contentment with God. Say NO to all the things that deplete your life and those around you. Say YES to God, the giver of abundant life. When we practice saying no, we create more space for the things that matter most.
Surely, God is in this place waiting for us to say yes.
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jenny
Faith Practice: Saying No, Practicing Sabbath
Choose life: Make two lists on one piece of paper. List all the things you know give you life that you never have time to do. On the other side, list all the reasons why you can’t or don’t do it. Keep the paper where you can see it. Take a day off to do things on the list. If a day is too much, do it for an hour.
Honor time: try resisting adding anything to the calendar unless you remove something from the calendar first.
Find support: Share your sabbath practice with someone and check in with them.