Intentionality: Creating Space for Rest

Yesterday evening I took a quick stroll down my road. 

As I approached the end of the road, I heard the babbling flow of a nearby stream, and a chorus of peep frogs ushering in sping.

I almost missed the moment in my rush to get back to my evening responsibilities. But the peepers were calling, and I've been known to pull over from driving and roll down the windows just to hear them. It's a calming sound that soothes my soul, and brings hope-filled anticipation for the rebirth brought by spring.

I forced myself to stop, close my eyes, take a few deep breaths, and soak it in. 

I thought of our moms' group and our current study of rest. What does it say about us, when we have to resort to studying rest in order to justify its place in our lives? 

Why is rest foreign and elusive to us?

In all honesty, my evening stroll was more out of necessity than proactive self-care. After a doctor's visit and some tests, I've relearned a vital lesson.

I need to slow down, and create space for self-care. For rest. For reconnection.

Once again, I had put myself on the back burner, and was carrying more weight than God wanted me to. 

We have a constant tug of war. 

Many of us feel this way. We carry the weight of the world on our shoulders, and fear the possibilities of what it would look like to put it down, even for just a few moments.

And when we do put the weight down, then we pick up our phones and scroll, or binge watch, or some other distraction to fill the time. Not that these things are inherently bad, but we've become so accustomed to the noise, we often fear the silence.

Part of my noise is the weight I carry in my head. My anxious mind is often grinding gears that don't even need to be turning, because I need to give what I overthink over to God.

My friends, he worked six days to bring the entire earth into existence, and then on the seventh day he rested.

He rested to reconnect with himself, before diving into the next thing. And he did this as an example for us to live by.

We must choose to be intentional. Embrace the stillness and quiet. Don't fear the silence, for in it you may just find the clarity and peace you seek.

Please, take a moment today to close your eyes, be still, and simply BREATHE. ♥️

Where in your life do you need to press the pause button? Work? Parenting? Ministry? Social media? Hobbies? Wherever you feel that the most, I encourage you to intentionally pause and allow just 5 minutes of stillness, deep breathing, and quiet before moving on to the next thing. 

Please, share below as a commitment to yourself to follow through. Where will you press the pause button today?