Are You Worn Out? How do we find rest for our souls?
How can we slow down when everything around us is moving at warp speed?
Even when we manage to slow down our bodies, our souls still hum with activity.
When we are finally able to sit in quiet; fast and scattered noise from the inside keeps us in motion.
We have to slow down the outside first and then we can slow down on the our insides.
I have learned to slow down my body first and then I can slow my soul.
I have made so many mistakes!
I’ve steamrolled over so many situations, loved ones, conversations, and life lessons.
I have learned that:
- If I am in a hurry to make a decision, I will not trust my gut, or weigh all of the outcomes. I usually regret it.
- I have very little patience when I am charging forward to the next thing. Parenting my 4 very different kids is so hard! I say harsh things when I am distracted, multitasking, and rushing.
- Moving quickly in conversation damages the relationship. I must allow others the space to share and feel. I cannot listen when I am thinking about what to do or say next.
- Words of inspiration can not catch up with me when I am sprinting ahead.
- I cannot soak in the wisdom of others when I am rushing on to the next task.
- Depth and words that matter take time to soak in.
I have discovered that this is also true in my marriage.
For Jim and I to be a good team together we need relaxed connection. We need time to talk without an agenda, time together without kids, working side by side on a unifying task, going on walks, and taking long drives.
Words of inspiration can not catch up with me when I am sprinting ahead. Depth and wise words take time to soak in.
What does that look like for you?
When was a time when your body was resting?
When were you supposed to be relaxed but you could not stop spinning on the inside?
What does it feel like when you are able to relax completely and quiet your busy mind?
Where does that happen?
If you are like me slowing down is a struggle. Here are some ways that I find rest in my busy home and this non-stop world.
5 Practical Rest Tips from an Overachiever
#1. Find a hobby –
There is a fine line between starting something life-giving that is just for me alone and choosing something else to add to my to-do list. You have to find that line. You have to find the tasks that work for you.
- What are you creating just for the fun of it?
- What do you do when you have an entire Saturday with no plans?
- See this article for more: Why Hobbies Matter
#2. Enjoy the Season –
The actual calendar season that we are experiencing right now. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter.
- What does this season look like outside where you live? What does it smell like?
- How does it look different in your home? What textures are different or smells can you notice?
- In the summer we have our lightweight blanket on our bed, we cook with the grill more, we eat more fresh fruit, and I have less decorations up.
- In the winter we have fuzzy couch blankets, more candles, the smell of the Christmas tree, and soups in the crock pot.
The trap: “Just keep pushing forward and accomplish more. Things will not change it will always be the same, you have plenty of time to enjoy later…” I fall into this thought pattern often. I think if I miss the small things that it’s no big deal. But then the season starts to change and I have so many things I did not enjoy or get to do.
The Truth: Summer (or whatever season) only happens once a year. If I ignore the spring flowers on the Superstition Mountains I will have to wait until next year to see them. If I do not take the time to read Fall books about leaves with my kids then it will pass and the moment will be gone. I only get to have 18 summers with each of my kids. I only have 2 more Christmas seasons before my oldest is in college, working, and doing her own thing. If I do not slow down now, I will miss it.
#3. Solitude –
Time spent alone on purpose to meet with God and get to know myself better. This is a beautiful practice that I am still learning. It can be uncomfortable, wonderful, and awkward all at the same time. Others call it meditation or prayer. It can be short or long but done more often it becomes easier over time.
- What does solitude look like for you?
- How do you get away from everyone else and talk with God?
- Where do you spend time in silence to listen and think?
What do we find in Solitude? What is the reason for it?
- We find our inner voice.
- We rediscover who we are. We get back to our identity.
- Deep strength and purpose for how we are to move ahead.
- We get to “Be still and know that He is God.” (Psalm 46:10)
#4. Nature –
There is something about feeling awe from Nature that grounds me on the inside. The more I go out in nature and get away the more I feel alive and at home with myself. There is something in my soul that feels nourished by the complexity and simplicity of nature.
Practical Nature Ideas:
- Short amount of time – walk, gather leaves and draw them, go bird watching, get out a sketch book and draw mountains from memory or from photos, watch the sunset, get some flower pots for your back yard, identify stars in the night sky (this app helps), deep water the shrubs and trees with a hose, look plants and take detailed photos (like this), open the windows in the early morning and fill the house with a cool breeze, and stare at clouds.
- A Sunday afternoon – Find a hiking trail, go for a drive away from the city, find a nature preserve, play at a park with the kids, find a neighborhood walking path, go do some yard work, plant a garden, watch some nature documentaries on Netflix, go to a local Botanical garden and learn names of plants, splash with the kids in nearby river, read nature photography books, and sit on the porch in a rainstorm.
- A weekend away – visit a climate that is different than your daily life. Have a weekend getaway alone, with your family, or with friends. Drive to a sandy beach, jagged rustic mountains, a musty green forest, calm tidepools, a deep blue lake, or the rocky desert. A visit out in nature does not have to be expensive. Short frequent trips are better than only one trip each summer.
Now is better than someday. I want my kids to have a full bank of memories camping in Arizona rather than only one big expensive trip we had to save for years to go on.
#5. Daily Rhythms of Rest –
Find spaces of time every day to be quiet on the inside. Just to be without agenda or set tasks. For me this looks like:
- This is standing in my dark kitchen holding my morning cup of coffee.
- It is getting out my knitting for a few moments of frivolous focus and busy fingers.
- Taking a break to pet the cat or play ball with the dog.
- Leaning on small yard gate watching the sky change from orange to purple in a beautiful Arizona sunset.
I am reminded that God is good, He makes all things new, He is full of grace, He loves me as I am, God loves my children more than I can imagine, and He is with me no matter what my day holds.
- What daily rhythms do you have where you slow down and just breathe?
- When do you like to pray or think about God?
- How do you slow down on the inside each evening before bed?
- What do you do to process the hard things of the day?
- Is there a spot in your house that brings you a sense of calm or peace? Why?
Resources:
Breathe: Being with God in Silence – Emotionally Healthy Spirituality
Try this 15 minute guided practice! It is so powerful! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5_vOr6mPCA
How to Make Room for Silence and Solitude in Your Work Day – EHS
with Pete Scazzerohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lOcIr9QGks
Recent Sun Valley Sermon by Pastor Chad Moore – Find Rest for Your Soul 6/30/21
Sun Valley Church Sermon by Robert Watson – Step Off the Treadmill
from 6/5/2021 https://www.sunvalleycc.com/sermons/how-to-enjoy-your-life/step-off-the-treadmill
Level 2 of Sabbath Rest:
Slowing down on the inside no matter what is happening on the outside and around us.
Yes! Doesn’t that sound great?! I am definitely not fully there yet.
When I get there I will write about it and let you know. But for now, that is what I am hoping for. That is the peace of God that I try to invite in.
I am praying that you will find rest and Sabbath this week. That you will find a way to slow down. Avoid moving at a speed where you steam-roll over situations, kids, friends, conversations, and wisdom from others.
Have a peaceful Sabbath! – April
