Hand gripped around the handle, I pull a wagon of open boxes filled with loaves of Dave’s Killer Bread from a small mission church on the corner of 7^th Street and Alice. Following my mother-in-law and a friend down desert pavement, past iron gates into the bowels of need, we knock on doors while declaring, “Bread!”

It’s Wednesday and like the reliable sun in Phoenix, people open doors with trust written on their smiling faces.

I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. John 6:35

Why do we abandon what is simple, available, and sustaining for what is cumbersome, hard, and heavy? Why do we try to fill our need with what is ultimately empty?

Time is swift and memory is fickle.

God uses the swiftness of time and the practice of remembering to open doors leading us home to Him.

Cradling a loaf of seeded bread, I gently place what is basic to sustain a life into tired, trembling hands held open in the direction of my voice. His gracious response reminds me that blindness can be overcome with a thankful, receptive, and generous heart.

If God sustains a nation by raining bread from the sky; if He feeds thousands of hungry souls with five small loaves from a little boy, how much more will He be the “I AM” in our harried world?

Let’s open our palms and let go of self-sufficiency for the aseity of God.

Let’s trade our carefully crafted contingencies and self-righteous support for a self-sufficient God that can change this restless world.

While we rush to fix, produce, and plan Wait on me is the clarion call from our Savior. Wait in the uncomfortable to witness the comfort of God.

The courageous are willing to feel unsure to step into the unknown.

As an expat returning home, I’ve traveled through six states over the last two weeks and this is my assurance: People are familiar in all places and circumstances don’t define us; they tether, strangle, or free us into the people we are to become. It is God’s love and our acceptance of it that ultimately defines our big, beautiful world.

We’re all on a pilgrimage filled with potholes — circling back to the comfort of his faithfulness, the generosity of his lovingkindness and the peace of his presence in relationships.

Standing in the shade under a concrete canopy on the top floor of a housing development, a woman rests on a cane and shares what she knows about the bread in the wagons we are pulling over dusty floor mats. Dave’s Killer Bread is more than just basic, it is bread formed from a mission statement.

FOR US, IT GOES BEYOND BAKING THE BEST BREAD IN THE UNIVERSE — IT’S ABOUT BELIEVING EVERYONE IS CAPABLE OF GREATNESS, CREATING LASTING CHANGE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND SO MUCH MORE.

May we all function with a mission to break bread with people as the focal point. Look people in the eyes, and remind them He is the “I AM” to all of life’s conundrums.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Matthew 5:6

Today is the one-year anniversary of Rhythms of Rest launching into the world! I can’t believe it! But I’m overjoyed that the message of Sabbath is resonating with people all over the globe. To celebrate, I’m remembering your faithfulness in sharing about my book with those in your spheres of influence. And giving away this beautiful gift bottle made by OG Studio Creations to one lucky person who responds to one of these questions in the comments:

How are you trusting God with your time? How is Sabbath making a difference in your week?

Download our printable October calendar for daily prompts to persevere in finding rest. And follow me on Instagram for more photos from my speaking tour in the US.

The winner of the giveaway will be picked on Monday, October 9!

Update: Graceanna Henderson is the winner of the gorgeous bottle!