Rest, Regroup, Reset (if necessary)
Rest. We all know the reasons for rest as we know it replenishes our body’s systems. We think of sleep. But if we’re honest, it is so much more. We even have difficulty with that! Rest is sleep, of course. (I will leave its elusiveness for another discussion.) Enough sleep allows for cell rejuvenation on all physical and mental levels. But, rest can also be meditation, prayer …. doing nothing. This is the hard part; at least, for me. I always feel like I have to be doing something “productive”. Even my prayer time seems like a duty – a “check-off the list” item. What I, and I think many, must realize is that rest in all its forms IS productive; perhaps the MOST productive of all activities.
The Son of God Himself rested and meditated and prayed – a lot! Shouldn’t we take a page from His holy book? I think this observation was nothing short of a command. We know we are out of sorts when we do not rest on a daily basis; so why are we so stubborn? Once again, we (I) try to do life on our/my own. Even though I know the Lord and what He has for me, I relate to the apostle Paul’s words in Romans 7:18-19, “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.”
Regroup
Not only must I rest regularly for my physical, mental and spiritual health, I must also regroup periodically. This is perhaps even more difficult. I think of taking a vacation to “regroup.” But how many times do I plan time off, but still think of work, answer emails and texts as if everything will suddenly fall apart without me? No, regroup, means to engage the mind in dreaming, creating – refilling the soul – so I can be a better wife, mom, sister, friend and child of God. If we take this time, He WILL show us what to do next! And it’s always better. I smile at how many times God has filled me when I allowed Him. His gentle whisper is always more powerful than the loudness that constantly surrounds us in this world. God has a plan for ALL of us that is best; if we only listen in. Yep! There’s the prayer and meditation I was talking about. It really is that simple. Distraction is the enemy’s weapon of choice. He, frankly, doesn’t have a difficult job!
Reset (if necessary)
Finally, there are times in life where we truly need a reset or redirect; whether it is career, where we live, dealing with the unexpected, or even devastation. Life happens. Resetting is scary. It’s the unknown. We second-guess our decisions. How do we cope with the new? Even if it’s for the better, such as a dream job or getting married, the anxiety felt is often no less stressful. Even worse, though, is doing nothing. How often do we remain in our “comfort zone” and decline to change because of fear of the unknown? I am guilty.
As I enter my sixties, I feel a quickened sense of adventure and creativity! I am finally stepping into my own creativity and purpose that God has assigned me. It is real and no less important than decisions I’d made earlier in my life regarding marriage, children, career. I am learning each day that I am commissioned to care for and love myself and others and that I have the power to do so through the Lord as He is the provider of this power. I need not be afraid – to take that trip, to work according to my passions, to dream about my future…. It is not over until God calls me Home to Glory.
Make the Conscious Effort
Friends: Rest, so you can replenish; Regroup, so you can dream; Reset, if necessary, so you can bring your dreams to fruition. I will conclude here with a personal observation. I work in the health and fitness industry. One of my responsibilities is working with breast cancer survivors leading them through wellness and exercise programs. While the program is designed for them to improve their endurance and strength, I am amazed at how leading these powerful ladies has inspired me in many, many ways! These are some of the most positive, feisty, fun-loving folks I’ve ever worked with! It is almost as if their respective diagnoses lit a fire in them! They’ve had no choice but to “regroup” and “reset” and they’ve done so well.
Let me, once again, quote Paul. At the end of his life, he articulated what was important. It isn’t how much we work or how much money we make, it is truly loving others and obeying God in pursuing our passions because our passions come from Him. This is what matters. Life is meant to be lived with action, purpose, passion and love.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). Amen!
Tonya Noren
June 13, 2022