This morning, my alarm went off promptly at 4:00 a.m. My husband Steve, had 6:00 a.m. flight and I was the designated driver. Usually, I bounce out of bed….early mornings are my favorite time of day. But, there was no bouncing this morning. I was definitely dragging. Even after several cups of coffee I was still dragging. I realized more than anything what I needed today was rest.

Jesus talked quite a bit about rest while He was here in earth. After a particularly busy season, He invited His followers to come with Him by themselves to a quiet place and get some rest. (Mark 6:31) For the performer, rest can be challenging. We pride ourselves on being energetic, productive, efficient and at times, indispendsible.

Here’s the rub. Busy doesn’t = significant.

God has designed our bodies to need rest and the truth is deep soul restoration only happens with rest. So give yourself permission to rest. Create the space to withdraw from daily activity and find refreshment. Carve out some time to read, take a long walk, watch a ball game, paint, draw, or sing, take a nap…..there are so many ways to rest.

In the realm of rest what have you found helpful? Let’s share our ideas and maybe we’ll be able to encourage each other. Leave a comment and you might win a prize this week.

On Wednesday, I’ll be drawing a random name from those who leave comments this week and that person will win a Starbucks card. On Friday, I’ll be interviewing author, Kathy Collard Miller. She will be giving away one copy of her book, Why Do I Put So Much Pressure On Myself and Others? You won’t want to miss out – so, be sure to leave a comment!