by Maddy Swedberg, 6-month Caribbean IMMERSION team member
As I'm coming to the end of my time here on IMMERSION, I've developed a new habit by recommendation and just by simply from being on this trip—here, I drink my morning coffee with two hands. This may seem very insignificant and rather strange for me to be writing about, but I've discovered that the way I drink my coffee says a lot about me. Back home I'm always strategically drinking my coffee with one hand—while driving, while texting, while writing in class, while typing or filing papers at work, while getting ready in the morning. Never with two hands. I down my coffee and move on to the next thing on my day. Coffee is without a doubt my favorite food group, and for someone who loves to indulge in high quality coffee I certainly do a terrible job savoring it.
In America, time is seen as an asset. We all know the phrase "time is money" and Americans spend a lot of the time follow this phrase literally. There's never enough time and we are always on the run to race the clock. Multi-tasking is a skill I learned at a very young age (living in such a society I started viewing time as an asset as early as the 3rd grade).
With such grueling schedules and the constant work to avoid running out of time, we are constantly in need of rest. A nap, a vacation, a time to free your mind and binge watch a lot of Netflix. Even God rested on the 7th day after bringing the world into creation. God, being God, clearly doesn't NEED rest so why did He? He rested to let it be known that if He, the Lord above all, chose to rest, certainly humans, being so less, must NEED rest. And we do. But why is rest never satisfying? We always are looking forward to another break, another time when we can stop working. But of course this cannot last forever because, like I said before, "time is money." When God rested He rested because He was finished. There was nothing left to create and He saw that it was good. But as humans, we will never be completely finished, will we?
I've had the privilege of escaping the grueling schedules and work ethic of American society in exchange for a different kind of lifestyle. Yes, time is still a concept here but it's not seen so much as an asset. For the most part there's always more time. More time for work, more time for family, more time for church. If a church service goes two hours longer than normal, no one is worried about the work they have left to do at home or how there are other things left to do in the day. There will be times for those things, and with lots of time, what better way to put it to use than to praise God, the one who gave you the gift of time in the first place? My American worldview often slips in at times when I'm here because it's just natural. "I only have X amount of weeks here or X amount of days left, therefore I must get all of the certain things done before my time runs out again." But I'm slowly learning to appreciate this new view of time, even though it goes against everything I formed my former life around. Because when we really think about it, there really is all the time in the world, considering we get to spend eternity with Christ. What a great comfort.
When I write this I'm not trying to demonize all of American society and the way it works. I will no doubt be thrown back into the American lifestyle when I go home because it's unavoidable. Sometimes it is even necessary. Yes, there is work, and yes, it needs to be done. But where does rest come in? I've always viewed rest in the physical sense. My body is weary, therefore I must give it a break. I've never considered rest to be spiritual. However, spiritual rest is a huge part of the way God intended rest to be. God created the Sabbath as a day of rest for physical rest but also as a day so we could pour into him and rest our souls. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." When we pour into the Lord, He recharges us with His energy. Take time to pour into Him daily, and the weariness will subside.
Now back to coffee. When I'm here, I drink my coffee with two hands because I'm never rushed. I sip my coffee slowly and enjoy a meaningful conversation with my roommate sitting next to me. Or with my host family surrounding me. My phone is typically turned off here since I'm out of the country so my hands and mind are free from the distraction. Or if I'm eating breakfast by myself I have ample time to think and pray. I've come to cherish those moments of pure serenity and have come to realize how important that part of my day is.
So today, take the time to drink your coffee, or tea, or hot chocolate, or Diet Coke from Chick-fil-a (whatever wakes you up in the morning) and sip it with two hands. I know it's not always a possibility to intentionally take time to sit down in the morning. I'm prone to sleeping through alarms, and rushing in the mornings is a bad habit I've formed back home. I intend to bring this new habit home with me, because living here has made me appreciate my morning coffee for not just the taste but also for the meaningful time it entails. "Take your time" is my favorite phrase that is commonly used in Jamaica. Whether it be washing my clothes, cooking, walking somewhere, or eating my breakfast, my host Mother Ivy always tells me to take my time. Put some extra effort and time into my work. Or into my rest. Tomorrow has its own set of problems and they will take care of themselves. Enjoy these moments God has placed in your life and the person sitting across from you at the table. Use your time to spiritually rest. And a perfect time for me to do that is right first thing in the morning, as I sip my coffee with 2 hands. I recommend the same to you—it will be worth it.
"Be still, and know that I am God."
Psalm 46:10
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