Vacations can be exhausting. Often I return from a vacation more tired than when I left. Yes, a change of scenery can be wonderful, but I’ve learned that time away from work does not automatically create a restful soul.
The opposite can also be true. Sometimes, when I’m at my busiest, I find a restful center in the Lord that burns like a furnace to fuel my hectic pace. Peace in the crazy. But then, when I neglect my spirit, busy-ness can easily lead to burnout.
How do I balance work and rest, pressure and relaxation, relationships and solitude? A two-week vacation isn’t likely to restore my soul if I’m not practicing restful living the other 50 weeks of the year. I long to put into practice David’s reflection in Psalm 62:1: “My soul finds rest in God alone.”
“Rest is a radical thing in our day and age,” writes Adele Ahlberg Calhoun in the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook from InterVarsity Press. “It reminds us that we are human beings, not human doings. We are meant to live sane lives that partake of a deep and playful holy leisure. There is time enough in each day for all that God requires of us. And part of what he requires of us is rest.”
Nurses often tell their patients, “You need to rest.” Perhaps it’s time we listened to our own advice. Whether you’re traveling, sitting on the porch, or enjoying celebrations with family and friends, our NCF staff team prays for your rest and restoration this summer.
May you make time to place yourself in the delightful presence of the Lord and be renewed to serve him in the places he has called you.
--Shelley Soceka, NCF Communications
How do you find rest for your soul? Leave a comment!
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