A Place to Rest

Finding rest this month has been challenging. My time has been spread between speaking engagements, my son’s soccer games, media events, family responsibilities, and time at my medical office. When life gets busy, rest becomes even more important.

Each day drains me a little more than the prior until I finally get to the end of my strength. This is no way to live and it does not honor God. It does not show any evidence of trusting Him. Instead, it testifies of my lack of trust in His ability to uphold the things I lay down.

I need rest as much as I need the air I breathe. Rest pours back into me everything I daily pour out to others. Finding a place to rest is at the core of abiding.

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. ~ John 5:15

Why Rest Matters

“Rest reveals things about ourselves, and that process can be messy. You may find something you didn’t expect. You may find fears you never knew you had but also the energy to confront those fears. Rest frees you to open yourself to a life that scares you. This is the secret to a life well-lived. In resting, you find the freedom to live the life you desire.  In finding rest, you receive the strength to do, be, and overcome everything you currently feel powerless to confront. In resting, you open the door to more power than you’ve ever known.

Can I just be blunt? Many of us run from rest because it seems like giving up. Rest looks a lot like waiting and resting feels like a lack of progress forward. That’s the lie this life wants you to believe. It’s only a lie. Lies are just twisted truths awaiting a revelation. A well-rested life requires a delicate balance between pruning and growth. Some things must be cut away to make room for what’s to come. Rest is not always pleasant, but it ensures that the activities, the relationships, and the situations that deplete you will not continue to be depleting.

The journey is not always comfortable. It doesn’t always feel right in the moment. I don’t want you to expect to see the heavens open, and angels descend every time you set aside time to participate in your rest activities. Yes, there will be some miraculous moment where all things come together, and you feel an instant tangible change. But there will also be times when your level of depletion will require you to diligently seek the rest you need until your change comes.”

Excerpt from Chapter 12 Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity

Enter To Win

I’d love to learn more about how you find rest! Enter to win a restful gift pack comprised of a copy of Sacred Rest and some of the things that help me rest well (aromatherapy, candles, gourmet herbal tea, eye mask) and an Amazon gift card for you to find a few of your own favorites. Enter using the link below AND visit some of the other Christian blogs participating in this blog hop.

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