FAINEANT

faineant \fay-nay-AWN\, [from dictionary.com]
adjective:
1. Doing nothing or given to doing nothing; idle; lazy.
noun:
1. A do-nothing; an idle fellow; a sluggard.

As much as I want to do nothing during this time of rest, I must say, I'm still a very ambitious nothing-doer. Definitely not faineant. Along with three other books, I started reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, my mom and I have been cooking up lots of yummy things, my mind remains full of ideas for blogging and sleep occupies almost half of my 24 hours each day. On top of that, I still want to break out my paints (I found a once-a-week watercolour class nearby), put a puzzle together and hang out with my closest friends. It's like I don't have enough hours in a day to have all the fun I want. ;)

A friend of mine who similarly struggles in this area of doing nothing sent me this passage recently. I think it's great perspective. It's by John Piper speaking about Philippians:

Held by Him, Reaching for Him Together

Then in verse 12, Paul gives one of my favorite statements in all the Bible, because it helps me put the fight of faith in the context of absolute assurance. He says: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” I don’t coast. I don’t drift. Christ is too precious for that. I press on. I strive. I reach. I long. I ache. I yearn to obtain the fullness and perfection of the presence of Jesus. Why? Because I don’t know if I am his? No. Because he has already made me his own. I reach for him because I am held by him. I press into him because he has enclosed me with unbreakable bands of love. This is what it means to treasure Christ together. And we help each other press on in this way—with this assurance.

How magnificently freeing!