ℝｅｆｌｅｃｔｉｏｎｓ

It’s that time of the year again, when in the buzz of the season we take a moment to pause and reflect. We do a mental recap of the year, analyze our choices, table regrets and if not drowned by those, offer a prayer of thanksgiving. We look in the mirror and hope to be satisfied with who stares back at us. Admittedly, there are new age lines, some unruly grey strands, and a welcomed offloading of lbs. from the stress. Or you are like me, and the extra plate here and there morphed into a few pounds here, there and all around. Still, whether a whisper or a loud shout, hallelujah! We have survived 100% of our worst days. Salute to you! It’s a miracle we do not look like what we’ve been through, isn’t it?

What I would like for us to do more of this season is rest. It’s a conflict of interest I know. We live in a world with systems that glorify burn out. Structures that suggest rest but lay off placing an emphasis on it. An intentional few incorporate rest into how they do business. They understand the importance of rest; that it is directly linked to concentration, memory, mood and vitality. Webster’s dictionary defines rest as, 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳, and interestingly, 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵.. However, my favorite is this, 𝘢 𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦.

Are you familiar with the term sabbath? It means day of rest. Which sounds wonderful. But how about a life of rest? Doesn’t that sound right about marvelous? I have learned in the past year that rest is not sleeping. It’s not even inactivity. It’s a place. Or rather, a person. Then Jesus said, “come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (NLT, Mat.11:28). The key word here is ‘come’. We enter a place of rest in the person of Jesus. It’s a rhythm (pattern, flow, tempo) of peace. A purposeful groove. An accepted state of being. Rest that restores.

We do not know what 2022 holds. But we know who holds our days. We can plan, and rest. We can make moves, and rest. We can work, and rest. We can shatter ceilings, and rest. We can crush goals, and rest. We can build networks, and rest. We can sustain relationships, and rest. We can tear the mouths of lions, and rest. We can fall on our knees in puddles of our tears, and rest. We can encourage others, and rest. We can birth, and rest. We can lose, and rest.

I’ll leave you with this: 𝙄𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨. 𝙄𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙖𝙥. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙚. 𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨? (𝙈𝙎𝙂, 𝙋𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙢 127:1-2)

God created for 6 days and rested on the 7th day. I didn’t make this up. It’s in the Bible. Rest pleases God. It is your right in God. It is holy.

𝑅𝑒𝓈𝓉 is available in every season. Can I encourage you to end your year unwrapping this gift, and live your days enjoying it? Can I urge you to end your year in Jesus and enjoy everyday life in Him?

See you in the new year.🤩🥳

Happy Monyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
Xo, Mel.