Hey there princess! We’ve all heard it that rest is so great for our soul. Rest can help clear our minds, refresh our bodies, and calm us.
Let’s rewind to our first thoughts this morning. Did you do a quick run down on your day? Wake up, take the dog out and feed the dog, make breakfast, grab a cup of coffee, get ready and prep lunch, take the kids to school, 8:00 team meeting for work, get business done, lunch, get more business done, a call to make, pick up the kids from school or practice, run an errand or two get home, let the dog out, start dinner, do a load of laundry, take a shower, go to bed. Wow, that’s a lot! Where did you find time to feed your soul, let alone find some rest?
When I was in my early teens I used to love to go, go, go. I believed nothing could slow me down and often times I believed that run down I just went through was what my future would hold. Did God show me He had a different plan!
As I said in my early teens I saw my future to be a busy one. I was involved in so many school activities, church activities, and plans made with family and friends but oh boy did I not know what my future held for me. I hated naps for one thing and felt they were a waste of daylight and time to be doing something. I didn’t like to sit down. Therefore, if I was at home, it wasn’t uncommon to see me on my bike around the neighborhood.
If you’ve read my post Answers you would know that I have had fibromyalgia since I was 15. I had to learn to rest. My body could no longer go like it used to. This was quite the adjustment. I went from climbing trees to laying down and allowing my body to recuperate. My mind went through struggles for a while but I’ve learned to take the days when my strength is weak to sleep. Every 1-2 weeks my body takes a full day to catch up on sleep to just allow the pain to find some rest. When I wake up from a flare up my mind has usually had the time it needs to clear and think things through.
Before my fibromyalgia I was constantly living life as it came and not taking much time for myself. I did not let my body or mind take a break and often times that meant I was not listening to what God wanted in my life.
Now let’s look at a healthier first thoughts of the day. (Hint: I now end my day with a mental review of my day and a quick run down of tomorrow. What? Doesn’t that make it hard to shut down your brain? Wait until I explain this one!). My first thoughts are to remind myself to breath, to read a verse or pray, and take a mental note of what my body is telling me it needs.
Sometimes my mentality reverts to my younger ways of thinking. I want to keep pushing and just ignore my body. It’s ironic then that the very first story in the Bible I was ever able to read on my own was the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. Martha was up and working and serving as her sister sat with Jesus. She was upset her sister left her to serve alone. Rather than asking Mary to work He explained that in that moment what Martha needed was to be right there listening to Him too.
When we listen Jesus our minds will find rest. In Matthew 11 ESV version Jesus says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” So Sleeping Beauty this is your time to find rest in God.
