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I Need to Rest

by Lisa Leonard  •   Jun 3, 2014  •   52 Comments  •  
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lisa-leonard-slow-down-and-rest-02

For me, rest takes the form of slow mornings, browsing a thrift store at my own pace, sipping coffee in my car, cuddling on the couch with my boys and having dinner delivered instead of cooking. It’s quiet time spent pouring out my heart to God and casting my cares on him.

Rest looks like unhurried time with room to think and make decisions. It’s the ability to move and breathe and just be.

Last week between a last-minute, four-hour drive to Los Angeles to see David’s GI doctor, an evening workshop tour with cupcakes and wine, and friends in town, I found myself spent, exhausted and broken. I simply didn’t allow myself to rest!

I tend to fill my schedule with important meetings and tasks that have to be done. I rush from a meeting to a phone call to the grocery store and then over to the school to pick up the boys. As soon as I’m home there are dishes to do and a blog post to edit.  And I can’t forget that there’s dinner to prepare and homework to check. I allow these things to crowd out down time.  I don’t leave room for rest. And then I hit a wall.

Last week I mixed my normal busyness with extra projects and activities, and I was so exhausted I simply couldn’t push myself anymore. I had nothing left to give and I was on the verge of tears. Okay, the tears flowed freely. I was undone.

lisa leonard slow down and rest-01

I want to change this. I want to learn to rest. I want to see rest as a priority and not a luxury. I want to slow down and let things be imperfect so they can be more better. I want to rest before I am overextended.

Bonnie wrote about rest here and WOW it hit me exactly where I’m at right now!

On the seventh day, God rested, and yet for some reason, I think I don’t need rest. That makes no sense. I need rest. I want rest. I was designed to work and rest. And that’s okay.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet water, He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
Psalm 23:1-3 

Let’s encourage each other to rest. Let’s give each other grace when we can’t keep going.

How can you find rest today? What does your soul need today?

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