Intentionality- Rest
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”- Matthew 11: 28-30
For you, lucky reader, I (for once) don't have much to share. For weeks I've been uninspired and unmotivated to write. In three weeks time I'd experienced the death of two family members and my energy tank was depleted. I asked God for inspiration for the blog and got back silence. I wasn't mad about it, but I admit, was slightly annoyed. This week I decided to give it one last go, and ask one more time. This time the answer was crystal clear.I have been tired, weary, burdened, so exhausted. My fall activities have been winding down at the same time these past weeks and I found I had just enough energy to stay engaged and participate. Beyond that however, I was just done. Coming out on the other side, I've realized that it wasn't a bad feeling for me to have. God knew what I have been needing and that has been rest; time to unplug and actually sleep when I could. Beyond caring for my household, I put serving on pause, not because I was lazy, but because I just needed REST.Weary, burdened wanderer, there is rest for thee at the feet of Jesus in His love, so free- Come To Me- The Village Church and Lauren Chandler
In the story of the creation of the world in the Book of Genesis, God took the last day, the seventh day, to rest. As humans, we are designed to need sleep and rest in order to stay healthy and thrive. With these two things in mind, the idea of rest is not one to be ashamed of, but to lean into. Giving your body, mind and soul time to heal after injury or tragedy is a good thing, a wise thing. Resting and processing grief during a time of mourning is healthy. Busyness can be such a cop-out and in reality, a very unhealthy way to cope with hard times. Not to say it shouldn't be done at all, but if that's how your mind thrives, be sure to do it wisely and still take time to process.As the holiday season rapidly approaches, consider not giving into the rush of shopping and visiting. Perhaps, if you can, let this arriving season be a time you can admire the joy around you or slow life down just a tad so you can give back and serve others that may not get to enjoy the holiday season as you do. Take some extra time to enjoy a slow night with your family on the couch enjoying a Christmas tradition. I don't know what the idea of rest might look like for you, but it can be worth giving it a try!