spa for the soul - rest

How often do you take time to rest? Do you take time in your day to rest? Do you intentionally set time aside for rest? Do you know how to take a few minutes in the midst of activity to rest? Or do you only “rest” at night when you are sleeping?

Rest is so important for your wellbeing. It is how God designed you. You can go for periods of time without resting but not without consequences. Stress piles on stress piles on stress piles on stress. You find yourself being short with your husband or children. You find that you have no energy. You find that your body hurts, that you are prone to sickness. You find that you are experiencing less and less joy. You find yourself wondering …is this all there is? You can’t carve any time out for God because you are too busy…or too tired to get up a bit earlier or stay up a bit later to be with Him.

We were designed with a need to rest and it came naturally to us at one time. But we have forgotten. We have forgotten how to relax, how to play, how to rest. The good news…you can learn how to rest.

Anything from learning to catch a few moments in the middle of the day to giving yourself the gift of an entire weekend is a move back towards the ideal of Eden. Sometimes you will find that you need a longer time to allow your mind and your body to let go of all you carry, all that keeps you from truly relaxing.

If you are ready for a full weekend of rest and time with God, consider one of the upcoming retreats in either October or November. There will be times of guided reflections, precious, restorative time alone to journal, walk, listen to music, or even sleep…and times of community. You will gain tools that help you develop practices that you can carry back into everyday life. That will allow you to create times of rest through your week.

You certainly can create restful times on your own. Want to try? Choose a comfortable place to sit, where you won’t be disturbed. Close your eyes and offer a pray up to God, telling Him that you just want to rest in His presence. Then…..just breathe. Be aware of your breath. Don’t change the pace. Just breathe….in and out. It will find it’s own pace. Staying focused on your breathing will help keep your mind occupied and lessen intruding thoughts. Try it for ten minutes. You will be amazed at how relaxed you will feel afterwards. Try to do this every day and you will find that it gets easier as you are discovering how to ‘rest’.

Whether you give yourself a weekend retreat or ten minutes of quiet tomorrow morning, you are moving yourself closer to the heart of God as you learn to 'rest' in His presence.

rest…..rest….rest

Deb