REST.....

So my cousin looked at me a couple of weeks ago and said (though these may not be his exact words):  “You look awful, like you have just had it.  You need a break, and I KNOW I need a break.  So when your help gets here for that weekend, you guys need to come with us and we’ll all go to the lake cabin for the weekend and do NOTHING!”  (Every once in a while I get opportunities for something special like this…..other times I have to find other ways to relax.)

Well, I just got back from that weekend.  He was right.  Really right.  Oh, we didn’t do exactly nothing…..but we did seriously break our routines, get away from the responsibilities and just take some time to relax and rejuvenate.  You know, that isn’t exactly a new idea.  Scripture says that God started it way back when, and folks have recognized the importance of rest pretty much ever since.  And it becomes especially important in times of high stress, and when there are a multitude of demands on your time. 

If you are in the midst of a divorce, or are a single parent after a divorce just trying to manage, then you KNOW that the stresses can be very real and very overwhelming.  And if you are in process, it is so easy to obsess or get consumed with all the decisions and hassles that you don’t make time for rejuvenation for yourself.  It is just as important for you to make that time to rest.  I am not here talking about the notion of the Sabbath rest set apart for the worship of God.  That, too, is important.  But part of the instructions given for the Sabbath rest include not doing work…..ceasing from labor, or, as we say it today, having a day off!  There are many of us who are pretty good at making sure the worship part of Sabbath is maintained, but have completely lost track of the importance of the rest from labor, too.  In fact, many good Christian folks attend worship, and then fill the rest of the day with one project after another, never really taking seriously the command to rest.

Well, I’m back home now.  Swam in the lake a couple of times.  We all went out for a quiet meal that lasted a couple of hours.  Wandered through a couple of flea markets.  Read a few chapters in a book, and some articles in a magazine.  Watched an old Clint Eastwood movie.  Of course, there were some chores.  The cabin required a bit of maintenance.  Meals had to be prepared and the dishes had to be done (although I didn’t participate in the dishes part this time).   But  none of my normal work related activities made any progress.  I even resisted the temptation to write up something for this blog!  And it felt good.  Work, of course, awaits now that I am back.  But for a few days, work simply was excluded from my life. 

So, how about you?  Are you needing some real rest time these days?  Maybe for you it is an evening at the movies.  Maybe it is a weekend getaway like mine.  Maybe it is an afternoon nap, or a picnic with friends.  But whatever way you use to cease from your labors and rest, it is more than just a nice thought.  It really does make a difference.  The family laundry will be waiting for you when you get back.  The lawn really won’t mind if it is one more day before it gets mowed (though the neighbors might grouse a bit).  And your boss really doesn’t own you 24/7.  Or, if he does, then you have gotten your priorities out of whack because you care more about your boss than you do yourself!   

Those are my thoughts.  But I’m quitting, now, cause there are still a couple of hours left in the weekend, and I think I may just stretch out, lay down and call it a day! 

TL:DR  I got away for a weekend of R&R, something important to include in in life, for me and for people struggling in divorce fallout.