The Unforced Rhythms of Grace 

A reflection by Serene See, Tatalu Conservation Resident, Summer 2026

August 13, 2026

On the fridge door at Hazelmere (the place of residence for the Tatalu Conservation Residents at the A Rocha BC Centre) hangs a small magnet that reads: Restoration happens here.

It’s true. Much of the everyday rhythm as a Tatalu Conservation Resident (TCR) involves restoration: Rescuing salmon from fading parts of the Tatalu, resetting land for the planting of a new crop; rekindling wonder in hearts who have forgotten the beauty of the wild.

It’s also true in very unseen ways.

I came to the TCR programme from a wintry season. I was feeling cold, bare, that I didn’t have much to give to the world nor have what it takes to keep going.

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.” – Matthew 11:28-30

At my lowest, this invitation into real rest weighed on my heart. I was clueless as to how it would play out until a precious friend texted me about the TCR programme, asking me to consider coming for it.

The very thought of transplanting myself into a different country and community was anxiety inducing, to say the very least. But there was also a quiet conviction that this was something I had to do.

I like how the verses hint that rest requires work because the journey from accepting the offer to adjusting to new rhythms was anything but restful. I was not used to the physically demanding (ok… that’s relative) work. Living in community, despite the luxury of having my own room, felt like a big stretch for my introverted self. I was also continuing practised habits of comparison and self-abasement, constantly feeling I was underperforming in my tasks, chores or even just in being who I am.

“The earth is not just for the clever and strong.”- Shusaku Endo

In the deepest valleys, I experienced exceptional kindness and an outpouring of grace. People stepped up to help when I couldn’t lift a heavy item or pull out an especially tough weed. There was no  blame when i dropped a tray of sprouted seedlings or an entire bowl of grated cheese (a precious commodity here). My tardiness in completing an assignment was reframed as care; small acts were received with generosity.

I had stepped into a rhythm of grace. The beat was new and unfamiliar, and it often surprised me. In this movement, my anxieties stilled and I found reprieve from my relentless inner critic.

One of the things I appreciate about creation care is that it does not separate the flourishing of the earth from the flourishing of people. In God’s world, humans are a part of all creation. When God restores the land, He also restores the people who tend it.

In doing their work of earthkeeping, the BC site community has unknowingly been vessels of peace to a very broken me. And in doing my small bit of earthkeeping,  I was being re-imaged into the Creator’s original design for us as humans.

Trauma mended becomes something new.  – Makoto Fujiumura

My time here will end soon, and I wish I had an amazing transformation story to share. I am still far from whole. Like unforgiving blackberry roots, my brokenness runs deep. Restoration happens here, but it’s still happening. It’s not done. It might take years, even a lifetime.

A heads up – there will be moments when redemptive work feels almost futile. But we find hope to keep going in our Creator who doesn’t give up on all the mess in this world… nor the mess in our hearts. He promises to make things right, in His way, in His time.

The invitation into real rest isn’t just for me. It’s extended to anyone willing to step away from life’s rat race and allow themselves to be formed counter-culturally, from the inside out.

Come. Come with your fears. Come in spite of your hesitations. Come into this quietly vibrant space. Come fall into  an offbeat rhythm and witness another way of being. Come taste what new creation might be like, right here on earth.

As for me, I will leave this place a little less broken, and a lot more ready to love and be loved.

Why not on earth as it is in heaven, yes why not?  – Eugene Peterson

P.S. Here is a playlist I’d like to share.