I am a girl who likes her rest.

I love getting plenty of sleep at night. I love the tradition of Sabbath, of taking a full day off to rest. I love going to church and hearing inspiring sermons, of getting filled spiritually. I love eating a big meal, especially if I can follow it with a big nap...

And - this is a little embarrassing - I turn nasty very quickly when my rest and comfort are at stake. When I have to miss a Sunday of excellent teaching. When plans of lying on the couch and reading get thwarted by a friend who needs me. When, for whatever reason, I'm in a pattern of going to bed after midnight and the kids are in a pattern of waking up before seven.

During those times I find myself thinking, "Surely I can find someway to organize my time so that I'm always getting the right amount of rest and relaxation." As if that's what life is all about, achieving great organization so I can be rested all the time.

At church on Sunday, the worship band sang while we took communion. They always put the lyrics up on the screen, which I'm appreciative of since I like the visual of the words. One of the lyrics was:

I know I am filled up only to be emptied again.

And the truth of those words settled into my chest.

Yes, it's important to rest our bodies and minds. Yes, we should eat well and fill up our minds with scripture and good teaching. But the point isn't to never feel tired because we've organized our time so well that we're always getting 9 hours of sleep at night.  We "fill up" on rest and food and spiritual nourishment so we can empty ourselves. So we can bless others. 


I heard a speaker say that one of the great keys to life is found in the pattern of our breathing - we inhale deeply, only to give it all right back. The air is key to our existence, but it's not ours to keep. And so it is with rest. We are intended to rest. We are also intended to hand our energy, whatever there is of it, over to God for His purposes. Trusting that when we are emptied, He will refill us.

Stephanie Morrill is a twenty-something living in Overland Park, Kansas with her husband and two kids. Her only talents are reading, writing, and drinking coffee, so career options were somewhat limited. Fortunately, she discovered a passion for young adult novels and has been writing them ever since. Stephanie is the author of The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series and is currently working on other young adult projects. She enjoys encouraging and teaching teen writers and does so on her blog www.GoTeenWriters.com. To connect with Stephanie and read samples of her books, check out www.StephanieMorrillBooks.com.

Rest

Face it, some of us must be forced to rest. Can anyone relate? I am one of those who feel guilty if I’m not doing something productive, unless it’s a Sunday afternoon or I’m winding down after a busy day. If I don’t have a deadline, I’ll create one. I am quick to admit that God often needs to knock me on my you-know-what and force me to slow down. Last week He used a horribly stiff and sore neck to pull me away from my laptop. I figured all I needed was a prescription strength pain reliever and I’d be good to go again, until I started feeling the effects of “may cause drowsiness.” I basically spent most of yesterday drifting in and out of naps. Strangely, I didn’t feel guilty. I understood what was going on. I’d pushed myself to the limit and needed more than half a day off to recover. Why must I learn this over and over again though? Why do I fight my body’s need for rest as if it’s a sign of weakness?

God clearly created us to need rest. The amount of sleep that our bodies need per night should be enough of a reminder.

God set an example by resting on the seventh day.

Jesus often took His disciples away from the crowds so they could rest.
So why do I fight it?

Whatever the reason, I’m thankful for this most recent forced time out. It reminded me to pace myself on a regular basis instead of constantly pushing my own limits, to follow my creator’s example, to listen to the body that He designed.

When is the last time that God forced you to rest? What did it teach you? How do you find time for rest during the week? (For example, I like to read on weekend afternoons or watch movies with my sons.) Thank God for caring enough even to create a day set aside for refreshing our overworked minds and bodies.

Child of My Love, Lean Hard

Today I walked into the livingroom of the lodge at the residential ministry for at-risk youth where my husband and I live and work and saw that they had their Christmas tree cut, lit, and decorated. A glance around the room and I spotted other decorations, including the nativity scene and the garland near the hearth with the names of Jesus. I smiled and remembered that the ribboned names had been a project I helped them with last year.

The Christmas season is here!

I realize it's not an easy time of year for all. Even when we do enjoy it most of the time, some days are just tough, or we know families or individuals who are struggling.

I thought I'd share a poem that has been an encouragement to me when events in life have become 'too much':

"Child of My love, lean hard,
And let Me feel the pressure of thy care;
I know thy burden, child. I shaped it;
Poised it in Mine Own hand; made no proportion
In its weight to thine unaided strength
For even as I laid it on, I said,
'I shall be near, and while she leans on Me,
This burden shall be Mine, not hers;
So shall I keep My child within the circling arms
Of My Own love.' Here lay it down, nor fear
To impose it on a shoulder which upholds
The government of worlds. Yet closer come;
Thou art not near enough. I would embrace they care;
So I might feel My child reposing on My breast.
Thou lovest Me? I knew it. Doubt not then;
But loving Me, lean hard."

From Streams In the Desert, September 12th devotion

May you know God's closeness in deep, joyous, and comforting ways this season. Especially know that Jesus who came as a babe, Immanuel, God with Us, is the one who said, "Come . . . take my yoke . . . learn from me for I am gentle and lowly at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-30).

Yeah, YOU ... that's who I'm talking about!

Tricia Goyer here.

You know what I've been thinking about? I've been thinking about YOU.

1. You matter. You are significant, not because of what you do, but because of who you are.

2. You are wonderful. When you see yourself as God sees you, you don’t have to worry about an identity crisis. You are his child. You have amazing strengths that are unique to you.

3. You can succeed. When you take time to explore your dreams and dare to grow by trusting God to help you, you become more of the person he designed you to be. You also become a gift to those around you!

4. You are loved. Intimacy means connecting with someone who touches your heart—through communication, time spent together, and love shared. True intimacy is found when you connect with those who appreciate you for YOU. They are concerned about you and honor you in every way.

5. You are smart. We receive instruction from school, through special training, and from life. Focus on being instructed by those who want you to succeed and are willing to help you.

6. You can’t do it alone. Everyone needs a support system--friends, parents, teachers, and mentors. Also, if we ask for his help, God never makes us struggle alone. His help may be bringing another person into our life. It may be giving us the courage to deal with our bad habits or to get out of a destructive relationship. His help may be providing the strength to go to attend school, to work, and take care of yourself. Jesus is available 24/7. Just ask.

7. You need to recharge. We can’t work 100% of the time. Everyone needs to enjoy life and rest. When God created the world, he worked for six days, then rested on the seventh. He didn’t need to take that long. He didn’t need a day off. He did it as an example for us. God created within us the need to balance our work with rest. This includes a physical breather—actually setting aside time for recreation. We don’t need to feel guilty for the way we were made. Taking time to have fun is just as important as taking time to meet our other needs!

8. You can’t do it all. Perspective means focusing on what will last—especially our family, other relationships, and God. They are the things we will never regret giving our time, energy, and love to. Focus on those.

9. You matter. Everyone needs to feel that what they do is important. If you ever doubt if you are important ... just look into the face of your child. No one can take your place!