Rest

Taking the time to rest is important.  As children, most of us had a dedicated nap time.  While we did not understand the purpose of the naps as children, we now see how important the naps were.  In fact, as adults, we sometimes long for a time to just stop and take a nap. Why do we want/need these naps? The purpose is to rest our bodies, and even our minds.  The naps allow for our bodies to rest and reset so we can handle what is to come.  There are even companies that are adding break rooms and spaces for their employees to break and nap. Why? They know that it boosts performance.  Resting also prevents burnout.

For those who know me, they know I am constantly on the go. I was nicknamed the Roadrunner by one friend.  She said every time she talked to me I was running from one thing to the next. When I would tell people my schedule, they would say they were tired just listening and would ask: “Girl, when do you rest?” I would simply shrug my shoulders and say “at some point!” Constantly running like that was not good for me.   I would eventually crash.  Why? Because I was running on empty

Today, I was reminded of the importance of resting.  I woke up with a headache that I could not shake.  I did something I do not normally do: I took the day off and slept, and for the first time, did not feel guilty about doing this.  In the past, if I spent a day in bed, or doing nothing, I would feel guilty. I felt that I had to constantly be on the go.  Perhaps this was fueled by the need to please others. Perhaps, my desire was to  be everything to everyone. Whatever my motivation was, I had to come to realize that I could not meet these demands, and the only one who could, and would, is my Heavenly Father.

I am learning to allow God to be God.  I am learning to take time to rest. And by resting, I am resting my mind and my body, but also resting in Him.  In the Bible we see many times that Jesus rested and prayed. If rest was important enough to Jesus, who IS God, it should be important to me.  Taking the time to rest and pray, allows me to not only talk to God, but hear from Him.  He wants to not only hear from us, but also talk to us.  Too often, we get busy with the things of this world, busy doing, that we do not take enough time to sit, reflect, rest, and hear. Psalm 46:10 says: “Be still and know that I am God” Matthew 28:10 says ”Come unto Me all who are weary and burden and I will give you rest”   

It is important to God for me to not only be still, recognizing that He is God, but also come to Him when I am tired, carrying heavy loads, knowing that He is the One who will give us the rest that we need.  He is the one who is in control.  He is the one that we must acknowledge that He can do what we cannot do. It is not our (my) job to be everything to everyone.  Acknowledging that gives me the peace I need to just rest and breathe. 

A Different Word was, and still is,  one of my favorite shows to watch. Next to the wedding episode, my favorite episode is where Debbie Allen coined the phrase: “Relax. Relate. Release” While the scene was one filled with humor, it gives me a lesson for life even today.  I must relax: stop trying to hold on to that which I need to let go of.  Relate: connect to the One who has all power. Connect to the One who has the ability to give me rest. Finally, I must release all to Him. Surrendering it all, being still and remembering that He will give me the ultimate rest I need.