An Invitation to Rest by Barry Hughes

By now you are well aware that, as I walk, my mind is filled with images. It is something of an adventure each day, and each journey brings an excitement and anticipation all its own. What will greet me this day? What will I stumble upon that holds the power to change how I see myself or that leads me to see the world of my neighbors differently?

As I pass this lovely yard I am struck by a feeling of invitation. This is the most welcoming spot on my daily tour. The grass is thick and the trees soar. The landscaping is tenderly cared for by loving hands. Each time I pass this way and peer into this world, I feel the urge to linger for a while.

When it is hot, the shade beckons. When I am tired, these chairs call to me and offer me rest. When I am feeling alone, the fact that there is seating for two gives me comfort and seems to whisper to my soul that I need not be, nor am I, alone. Indeed, this place is the very vision of invitation.

St. Augustine writes that, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.” This scene on my walk seems to invite me to step out of my restlessness and find peace, if only for just a moment.

Perhaps only a moment will be all it takes to change me or to set me on a different path. Or, who knows? Perhaps only a moment will be all it takes to show me that the path I’m already on is the right path, and that all I lack is the courage to say ‘yes’ to the invitations that abound each day: invitations to rest, invitations to love, invitations to pause and just be.

Peace.

-by Barry Hughes