My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. 1 John 3:18 MSG
Get some rest! Time for a nap! Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Slow down, take a load off. How many times do we hear these statements? We read them in magazines. Our doctors tell us every visit. We see endless television programs on it. Rest seems overrated in today’s society. Who actually has time for it with our busy schedules?
I recently was down with an upper-respiratory flu and all I could do was sleep. I got sick on a Saturday morning and was down for 5 days. I think it is the first time I actually listened to the doctor and did my time in bed rest. I knew in my head that I had work to think about, I was missing church and a had husband who needed me, however I had to overlook those things and focus on me for a moment.
I went back to work on Thursday and worked 3 full days only to find myself on Sunday unable to attend church and slept until 4:30 in the afternoon. I felt like I missed out on a whole day yet my body was telling me it was time to rest. I actually despise that word…REST. I just feel like I don’t have time. I have to blog. I have to write book #3. I have a hubby wanting to spend time together. Oh, and work. And taking care of my dad and keeping track of my kids and building relationships. Did I mention church 4 times a week? I sound like a broken shell of a human sometimes, so what keeps me going? Rest.
Ironic as it is, rest is what keeps all of us going. Whether it be the 8 hours at night or the 20 minute nap. The 30 minute walk. The 30 minutes of listening to our favorite music. The 1 hour of prayer. Or the 15 minutes we have to spend worshiping God on the way to work. We as humans who have a body, soul and mind needs a pause once in awhile before we burn out and become unworthy to even be seen with.
In these next three blogs I will take a look at rest, refresh and reflect. The reason I get through any day of the week is God. If I do not take at least some time during my day to worship or rest IN God, I won’t make it. Generally my rest period is my drive to work. That 15 minutes I get for me and God. I can tell Him anything. I sing as loud as I want. I am free to be me and my soul craves that! Taking time to rest requires re-planning on our part. Sometimes we just don’t have time for 8 hours of sleeping or 20 minutes of napping and all we can do is take a moment to commune with God no matter how brief. I take time in the shower, my drive to work, the quiet time right before falling asleep, in the middle of my day I break out in song or prayer in my head….I just interject God wherever I can.
This brief encounter with God can make or break my day. Where does your rest come from? Are you one of the lucky ones who gets 8 hours of sleep EVERY night? Do you have time in your day to nap? Whenever it is, I pray each of you reading this takes a good look at your relationship with God and ask this simple question: Am I resting IN Him everyday? If the answer is no, then what can be changed so that He becomes a part of your daily walk. We can’t just have Jesus on Sunday and make it through our week in peace.
Step Upon the Golden Road with Me! 