WJI 2021 Day 9, PM - Rejoicing in Rest

This afternoon we traded our business casual clothing for t-shirts and shorts to enjoy the Iowa sunshine. Some people took naps, some read, some watched movies. Lots of us took advantage of the warm weather by walking around the neighborhood and playing volleyball on campus.

At dinner, I reflected on how quickly new friendships can grow. A week ago, we filled the awkward silence with small talk; tonight, we laughed so much that we lost track of time. I’m thankful to have another week to laugh and learn together.

When we finished eating, Dr. Olasky split us into our tracks for next week. Our group of 26 was split into three smaller groups: feature writing, broadcasting, and newswriting. For the second half of WJI, we’ll be focusing deeper on each of these subjects.

For movie night, we watched All the President’s Men, a movie about the journalists who reported on the Watergate Scandal. It reminded us of the impact that persistent journalists can have on history. The world needs more truth-tellers.

The long days and late-night deadlines are teaching us how to work hard. Today reminded me how important it is to accompany hard work with good rest.

Genesis 1 tells us that even God rested from His work. If our Creator rests, it’s prideful for us to think we don’t need to. The Sabbath theme weaves throughout the Bible, calling God’s people to acknowledge how much we need Him. Augustine wrote, “Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.”

Rest makes us take a step back from our work and acknowledge that we aren’t productivity machines. It allows us to look back on the past week’s work with satisfaction and anticipate the next week with renewed energy and excitement. Alongside our hard work, we’re learning to rejoice in rest.

- Stephanie Morton