How tired are you? Do you often feel exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally? A tired a good night’s sleep doesn’t begin to touch. A tired that requires a break from everything…..work, home, current events, social media…..
Maybe what we all really need is…..”rest”. Rest is so much different than sleep. Rest is a quiet of body, mind and spirit. Rest is a peacefulness only acquired when we relinquish ourselves of worry and stress. Rest comes best when we consciously quiet our bodies and focus on calming our minds. Rest is elusive…..but it is possible and extremely necessary.
Did you know even something as beautiful as music requires a “rest”? A rest in music is a symbol meaning the musician should not play but rather there should be “silence” for a time or for the beats indicated. Even music, which is calming, requires rest or silence…..and so do we.
We all need a special place or designated time for rest. It doesn’t have to be a long period of time…..just enough to recharge or reset. It can be a quiet 10 minutes with your eyes closed, breathing deeply and quieting your mind. When I picked my young kids up from school, I used to take advantage of the 10 or 15 minutes in the car while I waited for them to be dismissed. Just a few minutes to gather my thoughts before starting the next part of my day. For you, perhaps it is during a run, which sounds like the opposite of rest, but if it is a time when you reset your thinking…..it is rest. Perhaps it is driving your car on a quiet backroad, or putting in earbuds and exercising at the gym, or soaking in a hot bath, or quiet prayer time. I usually find my “rest” sitting on our back porch, enjoying the beauty around me, listening to the wind chimes, soaking in the calm…..time which usually turns into conversation and prayer with God.
In this topsy turvy world we are living in, our bodies, minds and spirits need “rest”. The pace we keep is draining, the worries are many and our loads are heavy. However, our Heavenly Father wants and recommends “rest” for us.
He asks us to share our load with Him – And call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you shall glorify me, Psalm 50:15
He wants us to bring our concerns to Him in prayer – Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you, Matthew 7:7
He encourages us to trust Him with our worries – Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself, Matthew 6:27, 34
He promises us “rest” – Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…..you will find rest for your souls, Matthew 11:28
We don’t need to carry our burdens of this world alone….. For yourself, find your special place and set aside some time…..quiet your mind, talk to God and find the calm that only true “rest” can bring.
The Lord replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14
