Permission to rest.

Yesterday as I was out walking, I began planning my day. As I ran through the to do list in my mind I was interrupted by a little voice inside me saying.. Nat, rest. All of a sudden, my mindset shifted and I determined to go about my day walking in peace.

Rest is a weapon. It sounds passive but really it's a powerful, active tool we can use to bring us great strength. To rest is to relax and refresh oneself, to recover strength and to cease striving. It's also defined as standing firm, to be fixed, supported and to be still. 

Rest is something we innately desire. When we rest, we feel restored, rejuvinated and inspired. But I believe rest has to be more than just a fun activity we reward ourselves with when we have the time (or the money). It's a choice and a position in which we must live life. It's living with such a beautiful peace, resting in the knowledge that all things are going to work together for good, despite what might be happening around us.

Life is busy and there are times when we feel we are in overdrive. There are always so many things to do.. the to do list is 5 pages long, the car needs to be serviced, and just when we think we are finally on top of things, we get another bill in the mail, our health takes a wrong turn.. and suddenly we can find ourselves on shakey ground.

However....... I believe that in spite of all of these situations, in the midst of the trials and when the not-so-easy-times get even harder, we're not alone. There is Someone standing next to us, a faithful friend, holding our hand, and longing to take us to a place of rest.

In this place of rest, dreams are awakened and we are inspired to create. Yay. After God's marvellously spectacular six-day display of constellation creation, garden decoration, ocean inhabitation and mountain formation.. He rested. 

And today, we have also been given permission to rest.

So even though we may not be able to jump on an aeroplane and lie on a beach today, there are other things we can do to enter this wonderful place of rest. What is that thing for you? What makes your heart smile? Whatever it is for you, you need to make time for it. 

It might be wandering through a bookstore.. making a coffee.. walking along the beach, or sitting down with a cup of tea and your bible.. 

It could be driving down the coast.. writing in your journal.. reading.. or going for a run.. Whatever it is, permission has been granted for you to rest today. :)

So, now it's your turn. How are you going to rest today?

Happy Friday!

nat x

Images - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, Nat Box, 8, 9.