THE TIME OF REST, RELAXATION AND RECREATION

Summer is my favorite season of the year. It’s a time of rest, relaxation, and recreation. These feelings of liberation stemmed from my youth, when school, morning and evening rituals were aborted and playtime, sleeping in, and staying up late were embraced.

As an adult, I am committed to work schedules, day and night regimes, but the three hottest months of the year continue to be marked as my season of choice. The longer days, outdoors activities and the lightweight fashion outweighs any of my daily obligations.

Summer is the time for the 3 R’s for obvious reasons. I discovered with God I can have rest, relaxation, and recreation all year long. Let’s begin with rest, God wants us to come to Him and have rest.

 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 (KJV)

Do you feel weighed down by duties, responsibilities, stresses, and messes? God encourages to remove the heavy yoke of the world, work and worries.

 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matthew 11:29 (KJV)

The truth is many people do not know how to rest. Are you one of these individuals?

• Are you seated on a white sandy beach with aqua colored water and a perfect blue sky? Instead of looking up and out at the scenery, you’re looking down at your Smartphone or tablet checking Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, seeing what other people are doing and saying. On your outing, you send multiple pictures to fill your social media pages, but, how much “rest” did you actually receive? Your pictures illustrate rest, but, your mind and body did not align.
• A lunch break may be 30 minutes to an hour, it’s a time to get away from work, flush your mind from the morning, and refresh your mental psyche for the afternoon. Instead of rest, you’re checking emails, sending texts and worrying about evening chores at home.
• You can’t sleep at night because your mind is churning about what items didn’t get done that day, what things need to get accomplished the next day or worrying about situations beyond your control.
• When you’re at home, you’re thinking about work. When you’re at work, you’re thinking about home.
• When you’re with the children, you contemplate about alone time. When you’re alone you feel guilty about not being with the children.
• You’re single and daydream about being married. You‘re married and daydream about your single life.

Rest in God is a peace of mind or spirit, that whatever situation is present, whatever issue occurs, whomever you are with or not with, you can rest and peace knowing your burdens are at God’s feet.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)

How do you receive this great feat of rest?

Pray for peace. Embrace the concept that rest is a mindset, a peaceful spirit.  Just because you’re doing things that appear to be restful, if your mind and spirit are not calm you’re not resting.  Recite this scripture:

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27King James Version (KJV) 

Work to rest. Work for your rest. Get chores, obligations out of the way and carve out rest time for yourself. Start small. It may be a bubble bath, a cup of coffee at a local shop, a walk around the neighborhood, a glass of wine while listening to an audio book. Flush your mind and pray for peace to circulate through your body, like blood circulates through veins.

Choose your battles. Learn to fight the battles that really need to be fought. Some battles are not worth fighting. Ask yourself, is this worth robbing me of my rest and peace.  If not, let it go.

This post focused on the art of rest. Rest in God with a peace of mind. Nextl we will address relaxation. Staying calm.