Today I will travel to a women’s retreat. My topic is rest. Funny, but this is the second time that I’ve talked about rest, and each time it’s been in unrestful times.
And yet I know that life will be back to normal soon. Because I’m learning this secret: I don’t work all day to earn a good night’s rest. Instead, I rest so that I can provide a good day’s work.
It’s backwards in our society. We are fatigued. Not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually. One thing that has changed my life is that I try to allow everything to come out of rest. No matter how crazy my day, or the events surrounding it, I need God time.
No matter how busy I am, I need physical rest. And if that doesn’t come for long periods of time, it means that I must put my schedule book “on the table” and reorder my life. What is necessary? What do I need to say “no” to? What is really important, and what is not?
I need emotional rest. I can’t internalize everything. I need to be able to talk to God about it. I need to write it down, or talk with a trusted friend, or stop trying to fix the whole world, and just “be still”.
Everything fruitful in my life will arise out of rest. Is my life still busy? Absolutely? But I am learning to say no, so that I can say yes to all the right things. I am learning that I will sleep when my body needs it at night, and not try to do one more thing. I am learning that God really does know what I need, even when I don’t know how to put it into words, so I just close myself in with Him and let Him be God, instead of me trying to carry it all.
Rest.
It’s a beautiful word. In the midst of one more crazy week, I’m going to stop typing now so that I can experience it, and not just talk about it.
Have a restful day, sweet Boomers.
Suz
9 Comments
Suz,
Have a great time. I am also going to teach this weekend at a women’s conference. I’m talking about slowing down, simplifying, and …resting. (all topics from my book Breathe).
amazing how this has become something so counter-cultural that we need to go and teach people how to do it.
Enjoy the weekend–I’ll be praying for you as we both teach on this important topic!
Keri
I agree, Keri. But it’s life. It’s our culture. It’s the things that pull at us, and demand our time. I’m starting to demand rest–but in balance. I want everything in my life to come out of rest and to be fruitful. : ) Blessings on your conference, too!
excellent post - thanks for pushing the reset button on this! it is funny we have to “learn” this. I remember growing up with people who’s Sunday afternoon nap was a fixture!
Suzie-
So true. I never realized how important a day off is until I started taking one myself. As a caregiver, my time of refreshment is so very important. I know many people who don’t take a day off.
What insightful words. Last year I did a retreat teaching on rest last year and did some research on sleep deprivation. It was very eye opening.
Blessings,
Thankfulheart
The retreat was amazing. The women were receptive, fun, and hungry for a spiritual rest. Lots of laughter. Lots of silliness. Lots of bonding. And lots of connection with God. I love it when that takes place. I normally come home from retreats worn out, but came back from this one energized.
So glad to hear that God did what God does best…i.e. control the outcome of the conference where you spoke. He knew far better than anyone what those ladies needed to hear - and He sent the person He most wanted to speak the words. I so agree with Keri’s posting about how amazing it is that we need to be taught a basic principle such as REST and BREATHE and BE STILL. That we need to be reminded that God is in control - and no amount of our crazy do-it-all tasks will ever change that. I need to read Keri’s book again, for those of you who have not yet read it, BREATHE is more than a breath of fresh air - its all about taking the time to build that vital relationship with the Lord. Thank you Suze for this posting, thank you Keri for your comment, and thank you to our boomer babe blog visitors for coming back day after day.
Suzie, great topic and one that our society is in dire need of. I leanred the ahrd way. I burned out many years back as a SAHM and now take time to rest. How about we share ways that we rest and care for ourselves?
I say “no” to things that stretch me. Just said no to a party on Friday night. I would have loved to see my friends, but it had been a crazy week and I needed a break in my schedule.
I take nightly baths, have morning prayer time, and attend a weekly class that makes you stop and think. - http://www.wellforjourney.org
I also love to get outside and rest in the sunshine.
What do you all do?
Dotsie, I say no so that I can say yes to all the right things. I stop, even in the midst of chaos, and find one or two moments that I can just breathe in, and talk to my God. I put things down that are too big for me to carry emotionally–through prayer, through understanding what I can fix and what I cannot, and through sleep and food and nourishment. Last, every six months I put my whole schedule on the table, and I invite God to help me stay on track, putting down those things that aren’t supposed to be there and that strain all the other things that matter, and starting fresh.