I have always wondered what it must have been like to rest in Jesus’ arms.  I imagine the disciples as they were able to hang out with him and hug him and just feel the warmth that he gave.  Then as I studied on rest and solitude I realized we have the same opportunity that they do.  Of course he is not in flesh, but when we create an opportunity for him to come and meet us in solitude, that is where we get the chance to rest in the Lord.  I had a chance to share my story of when I was able to do this best with God, it just so happens my story is not a happy one.  I was able to find rest in the Lord when my mom passed.  I guess up until that point I always handled my struggles and pains the way I wanted to.  However, my ways were not strong enough to deal with the heaviness of losing her.  As I grew in Christ I also wanted to run back to what I knew, but then it would be in those times of solitude that God would come to me.  I was heavily burdened by the loss of her and wasn’t able to reach up to God anymore, so being the AWESOME God he is, he came to me.  I can remember the feeling of his embrace, just letting me know how much he loved me, How much he loved her and that he would be with me through it moment by moment.  What God has really placed on my heart is the same effort that I put into my friendships and the same effort that I am going to put into pursuing my wife, is the same effort, in not more that he wants me to pursue him.  When I am able to set time alone, I am really not alone, He is with me but more importantly he wants to sit and chat with me.  We have a Savior that knows us and wants to be apart of our life in all we do.  The more we draw near to him, the more strength we gain in dealing with everyday situations.  What I am mostly reminded of by Christ was when he was in the desert and he was alone, the truth is, He wasn’t.  He had the Holy Spirit and his Father with him.  In that time alone he was able to persevere through the temptations of Satan and by the end of the third temptation, he was able to say away from me and Satan had to leave.  Life is tough my friends and we all need to rest, what better place to rest than with the Lord.  AMEN!