Beauty in Rest {Day 16}

“There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.”

Gandhi

This week we have looked at Beauty in Work (here), Beauty in Play (here) and now today, Beauty in Rest.

Ahh, rest. Something that we long for. Something we know we need. Something we so often do NOT choose.

Probably of the three, rest is the one we intuitively think of as possessing beauty. And I would imagine, the one we engage in the least. Something that can feel counter-cultural in a busy, calendar filled world.

In the last 24 hours, I had a problem with my blog I had never encountered. I could not upload any new pictures. I love pictures. I love writing. I do not love figuring out if the file permissions on my wp upload folder via ftp are set correctly.

It consumed my time…and even more un-restful, my thoughts. I became fixated on figuring it out. Even in midst of running errands and being at my son’s school. I kept sorting through options and what had changed.

It was not lost on me, that the day I was preparing to write on rest, was very….un-restful.

Physical rest. Soul rest. We need both. We are made to receive both. Our limits revealed. Our bodies can not function without rest, not over the long haul. And our souls can not be fully alive without rest. Sleep. Reading. Walking. Scripture. Prayer. Each one calls out, I can not do this alone. 

My day revealed how much I need the One who never tires. Who will give me his strength. Who will nourish and restore.

But first comes choosing to enter his rest. Being intentional. Setting aside time. Creating margin. I sometimes run on thin margins. I can feel it, feel when my soul bumps into things and gets bruised too easily. When I am raw. Those are my indicators, “you need time alone”. Time in quiet. Even for five minutes. Sabbath moments. Letting his voice guide to true, soul satisfying rest.

Longer time eventually. But just five minutes for now. And I surrender. Turn over photo uploads and distractions. Turn over blog posts and spelling tests and a hundred other to-do’s. Turn over striving and expertise.

I come to Him tired. So tired. He who promised is faithful. And I laugh. Laugh at the weight I gave to one day without photos. A day that my mind is tempted to announce as the end of a writing career. But rest gives perspective. And truth. I am joyful at mercies that are new every morning.  Lighter that I am not carrying the world on my shoulders.

My writing becomes my process for this tiredness and emptiness. And it is here that He reminds me of the beauty of rest:

Beauty that… can only be seen in stillness.

Beauty that… is a whisper to the quiet soul.

Beauty that… speaks truth that the Sabbath was made for us.

Beauty that… buffers and protects our hearts.

Beauty that… shows up in white clouds in a blue sky as I peer through the sunroof.

Beauty that… quiets the distracting voices and helps you find the one that matters.

Beauty that… only needs a few minutes to be found, but multiplies.

Beauty that… invites Sabbath rest, where we step back and see it is good.

Beauty that increases trust…and trust that shows us more beauty.

Where is God inviting you to rest?

In the next 24 hours, can you find a half hour to rest? Intentionally resting, filling yourself with what is good for your soul.

I am participating in The Nester’s 31 Days of Series. Click right here to see all the amazing topics!  I am writing on 31 Beauty Full Days.  You can read the intro post here.  And you can also always click on the button on the sidebar to see all posts in the series.

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