Thankful for rest

Today,  July 6, I am thankful for rest.

In fact, I've been so thankful for rest today I almost forgot to post this. My life is much like yours I'm sure, full and often fast-paced. My work schedule is full of meetings, speaking engagements and helping lead an organization. I also make sure I attend to my physical health by exercising 5-6 days a week. Saturdays find me grabbing any opportunity I can create to work outside, at least for a few hours, followed by taking care of my sister-in-law's horses (one of the best parts of my week).

What I have begun to realize in all of this activity is I really do need a day dedicated to rest. Sunday is that day for me. Some of you reading this may say, "Way to figure this out, Einstein. That's what a Sabbath is for." But, I think very of us actually have this figured out, much less engage in a true day of rest. For me, it has become not only needed and welcomed, it has become sacred.

No physical work, no job work, no workout, nothing. On Sundays I recover. And think. And read. And nap. And pray. And enjoy the sunshine. And be present with and available for Jeanine in a way I'm not quite as present and available during the week. And let God restore my soul.

When I was a pastor, Sundays were anything but a day of rest. Given the demands of the job (at least in the Bible Belt), a rest day any other time of the week was a rare occurrence. It has been life-giving to me since that time to discover not only how necessary, but also possible, a true day of rest is, if we will only insist on it for ourselves and from ourselves.

Your day of rest may be a different day, or it may be made up of pieces of a couple of days set aside for nothing but rest and reflection. Whatever the day or days that work for you, I encourage you to create and insist on this space in your life. And, don't let anyone, anything, or any institutional expectation or pressure rob you of it.

I am a better, more alive person for giving myself this sacred space and time. Or maybe what I'm doing is giving myself to this sacred space and time. Whatever the case, it is a precious time of the week for me. It is a gift that I continually look forward to opening. It is a gift that fills me with a thankfulness that resonates throughout each new week. I am thankful for rest. I hope that you will allow yourself this same thanksgiving.