Summer Rest

The summer sun already gracing us with its presence, there is no doubt about it, this summer will be hot! Yet this will not stop many of you from going about your summer routines and finding these few months with no school to be refreshing and restful.

I do encourage you to do whatever you can, however you can to find rest and to be refreshed these next months with having no school. It is often times a habit of ours to fill our empty schedules with stuff and this often times leaves us more rushed, stressed, agitated and tired. We feel as if, if we don’t get in ALL of the things we want to do, then our summers won’t be any fun and we will be left regretting how we spent our summer days. If you stop and think about it really, our summer months are already packed enough. I mean some of us will be going with our parents and families on vacations which are fun, but there goes 1 week or so of our 9 week vacation. Then, we know we can’t do anything before 10 am or after 6 pm because that is when we have practice. Now, we love practice and although it is technically an “extracurricular activity”, we still find it to be life-giving and refreshing. Then we have little odds and end things we know will take up some of our time. You know, things like doctor’s appointments, dentist appointments, visiting Aunt Hilda in Madisonville and then going here or there and everywhere. When it is all said and done, when we take a step back and look at our calendars…right away they are busy, full to the max and maybe even overwhelming.

This then friends, is why I encourage you to find rest within this restful season that is known as summer vacation. Despite the fun things you will do with your families and with your friends, do make sure you find space to love on yourself, and by this I mean, bask in the presence of God in activities and ways which will indeed restore, refresh and be restful. Find Sabbath—a period of rest—and do just that, rest. Don’t overwork your bodies to the point of exhaustion and when it gets too hot outside, hospitalization. I encourage you to work hard and to do your best, but listen to the rhythms of your body and respond accordingly. Remember, to love God in one way is to love our bodies and this means treating them as the holy temples which they are.

After all, even in the thick of his ministry and even in the heat of the end of it, Jesus did what he had to do to find rest. Jesus, even though he loved his disciples, found time to be alone, to pray, to be outside and to listen to and for God. In fact it is in Luke 5.16, we see Jesus withdrawing after he had just healed a leper to find rest and to encounter the Holy. I encourage you to perhaps this summer include into the dance steps you already know as summer vacation, a new step, one which will force you to rest more, to be still a little longer and to find a new beat to the dance which is called life.

When you find yourself rushing around and becoming overwhelmed or exhausted by what you have done, take a moment and stop, and gather yourself. 2 days this summer I encourage you to find rest by simply being in the presence of God and when you don’t know what to do or how to act during these peaceful/quiet times, remember these words the Psalmist prayed:
“Our soul waits for you, O Lord; you are our help and our shield. Indeed, our hearts rejoices in you, for in your holy name we put our trust. Let your loving-kindness, O God, be upon us as we have put our trust in you.”

Be well. Be still. Be refreshed. Find rest. Be love and give love. Be with Christ. Be Christ!

Peace.