The Beauty Of Rest
Three days ago I went to Tribble Mill Park. Again. It’s been my go-to, get-away place since the pandemic hit. Walking the trail there has given me abundant exercise and plenty of joy. This time I went for the purpose of resting.
In this world we have a great need for rest. All kinds. Mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. I didn’t know what all I needed, but I knew I needed rest.
There’s much beauty to be found in resting. Not only our enjoyment as we slow down, calm our souls, and rest our bodies. But the beauty of rest is also found in what comes after. Let me explain.
Rest Is A Universal Need
After being at the park a couple of hours, I wrote a post on Facebook. I was really too tired to write. In fact, I’ve felt too tired to write for weeks. The loss of two siblings in seven months knocked the wind out of me.
But I wanted to post some of my photos from the park for my Facebook friends. I found myself putting my heart into words as well.
What I discovered the next morning was that many souls identified with my need for rest.
Because there was such a reply, I want to share what I wrote then with you now. And what I learned in the process.
Recognizing My Need For Rest
I’m trying to figure it out. The world’s still turning. God’s beauty still surrounds us. Yet everything seems out of focus.
Mentally I know our family has taken two too many hits this year. Emotionally I miss what was and now isn’t. Spiritually I know my Father is wise and good and loving. But physically I feel like I’ve been pummeled.
The walk around the park that has been easy for so many months seems like a marathon right now. I keep trying it again, thinking surely I’m ready. But when someone who’s seen you on this trail many times before asks if you’re all right as you trudge up the hill, you know something’s wrong.
That was the other day. Today I went back to the park, to rest. After sitting beside the lake an hour I decided I could walk the trail. Evidently I’m still not ready. Whatever the mind and emotions have suffered, my body’s letting me know it’s not happy either.
This morning I listened to a doctor talking about different kinds of rest. Anyone remember the musical, “Stop The World, I Want To Get Off?” I sort of wish that’s the kind of rest we could have. Just stop, let me off awhile, then I’ll come back refreshed and ready to pick up where I left off.
Sadly that’s not the way things on this earth work, but sometimes I think we need that much rest. A break from the emotional pain of this world. A stop in the flurry of communications found in our society. A halt in the feeling we must keep going. Just for awhile.
Thank God He knows our needs. And provides. Thank you, Jesus, for telling me to come to You and You will give me rest.
Not everyone on the planet is in this boat right now, but many are. Maybe we can all let Jesus row while we rest in Him.
I can’t stop the world and jump off for awhile like I’d like to. But I can run to my Father, let Him hold me, and rest.
God Knows We Need Rest
I found beauty at the park and that beauty refreshed my soul. Talking with the Lord and crying on His shoulder encouraged my heart. Sitting for awhile rested my body, but walking wore me out. In time, I’ll find beauty again in traversing the trail. There’s beauty in rest of every kind, and I needed it all.
But what I found after I wrote my post is I’m not alone. So many of us have losses of one kind or another. It may be family and friends who’ve been taken from this earth. It may be jobs or health or wealth or ability lost that we grieve. Grief of every kind takes a toll on our complete beings. And rest is God’s way of helping us forward.
Rest Enables Us To Help Others
A friend reminded me to be gentle with myself. My delayed reaction to our losses this year surprised me. I knew nothing else to do but let myself take time. Others have found the same thing to be true.
Scripture tells us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. That insinuates God expects us to love ourselves. How else can we love others properly?
When on a plane, the stewards tell the adult passengers they should put on their oxygen masks first if there’s an emergency. Only then are the adults to provide oxygen masks for the children. Why? Because if we don’t take care of ourselves, we can’t help anyone else.
When I was a child, our mom signed me and my siblings up for swim lessons at the nearby pool. One of the lifesaving lessons was to put on our own life vest before helping another. Once again the reason is love. If we don’t care for ourselves, we can’t help those who need us.
What I understand from this is I must allow myself the different types of rest I need. Not only for myself, but for others.
God Makes Provision For Our Rest
I know I’m not finished getting the rest I need. But perhaps we never fully finish resting. Maybe that’s one reason our Creator instituted the Sabbath. Work six days and rest on the seventh (Exodus 6:9).
And maybe that’s why we have day and night. Our God knows we humans aren’t like Him. We can’t go 24/7 and not pay the consequences. We need physical rest, some of which we get when we sleep at night.
But we also need emotional and mental rest. Emotional rest when our heart is breaking allows the heart to heal. Mental rest when there is too much to think about allows our brain to recoup and work better again.
But the most important kind of rest for all of us is spiritual rest. How blessed we are that our Father knows without Him we will flounder. And He provides.
The Most Important Rest
Sadly we often forget there’s another realm of which we are members. Each soul belongs to either the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of the enemy of all things good. Rest is found in our Father’s kingdom.
This world is ruled by the evil one and chaos is the result. We walk here for now and that’s the cause of much of our need for rest. But when we leave this earth, our spirits either will go be with the Father of light or will be separated from Him forever.
Spiritual rest comes from being with our Creator, resting in the arms of the One Who made us and loves us. How blessed we are to have Jesus pay the price for our sin against God, making those who are willing to trust Him children of the Most High. And that is perfect rest.
God’s Beautiful Rest
Where is the beauty of rest? It’s found in the calmness of soul and energy we reclaim as we get the rest we need. It’s found in the peace of heart and mind that comes from being in a right relationship with our Creator. But beauty is also found after we rest as we realize others have the same needs we do.
The kindness we show ourselves, we can and should offer to those around us. We never know what state of fatigue people are in when we encounter them. Can we supply encouragement? Offer hope? Supply an ounce of rest for those along our path by not adding to their stress?
By God’s grace, let’s share the beauty of rest with each other. And as we rest and offer grace to one another, we’ll find ourselves strengthened by the Father. Enjoy His beautiful rest.
Have you not known?
Isaiah 40:28-31 (NKJV)
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
May our Father bless you today with every rest you need.
Post Script
Songs that blessed me this past week, encouraging my heart, are listed below as links if you’d like to listen. And if you are blessed at all by this post, perhaps you’ll find additional blessing in a post from earlier this year, The Heart Of God.
One day at a time, eyes on Jesus, remember God is good. Trust Him. And enjoy the beauty of the rest He gives.
Songs
My Hope Is Built On Nothing Less
(Photos: Taken by Carolyn Thigpen, October 2022, Tribble Mill Park, GA)
6 Comments
Bobbie
yes these wise compassionate words must have helped cb many weary hurting people. i think you wrote it for me. we have not talked for a while, i had sort of a “shutdown” myself. My family was concerned. like you,i know and believe all the sovereignty of our Lord but i had no strength to go on. my children took turns coming to help with Jim’s visits, encouragement to see a doctor that helped me get real sleep at night. thank you for sharing your open heart pleas, His caring love as you sought His Wisdom and obedience of caring for yourself. reading your beautiful writing has certaugivrn me assurance that God has blessed you with a gift
cthigpen377
Bobbie, you continue to be a blessing to my soul. God never intended us to go it alone here, and you have been one to come alongside me many times. I’m thankful God gave you children and friends who walk with you through this present time and will keep being there for you. I’m glad God knows when we have hit a wall and need others to minister to us. What a gracious God we serve. Love you. God bless you.
Wendy
Beautiful post, Carolyn. I can so identify with your journey–I hit a similar place after a long spell of intense caregiving and all the ‘stuff.’ It took months of just stopping and giving myself permission in the Lord to not engage in my normal life activities, just get the basics done and focus on rest. It was wonderful, and He was faithful to restore me. You are wise to just follow the process with Him, and surely, you will get the “treasures of darkness.” Bless you, my friend!
cthigpen377
Wendy, thank you for your comment. And for your understanding thoughts. How sweet His rest is. Bless you for sharing. Love you!
Katherine Pasour
I added on a temporary extra job for the past two weeks. It’s been rewarding, fulfilling, and a time to make new friends. But I’m exhausted–this temp job is on top of an already busy schedule. Your message was just what I needed; permission to rest and take care of myself. That will come this week after a few more long days. Praying for you in this stage of your journey. I think grief is lifelong–our sorrow reflects our depth of love.
cthigpen377
Katherine, thank you so much for sharing. I hope you were able to get the rest you needed after your job ended! Grief probably is lifelong. Thank God He knew loss here would activate grief and sorrow, and He send Jesus as our remedy. Bless you for sharing.