Not long ago, our family went to the cabin because we needed space to rest with God.
We needed to break away from household projects and craved downtime for sitting beside smoldering campfires and soaking in the afternoon sunshine along the reservoir.
My right shoulder blade had been twitching for days—a sign that I’d been pushing too hard, running on fumes, and succumbing to worry and anxiety.
The Importance of Resting With God
After 48 hours spent climbing muddy mountain roads, dipping nets in swampy bogs in pursuit of red-spotted newts, eating sandwiches beneath open skies, and bathing in mountain spring water, I noticed a shift in my body. The anxiety-induced muscle spasms had stopped.
I also noticed the most surprising gift. For months, my creative capacity for writing had been minimal. However, in the open space of the wilderness, the words began flowing again.
First, they came as I picked up a book I’d recently started reading.
Weeks before, the book was disappointing when I tried to read it at home. The words didn’t reach my heart. I had assumed it just wasn’t the right time for the book.
However, in the woods, the words of the very same book came alive. They jumped off the pages and breathed new life into my soul. They inspired long journal entries and hours of quiet reflection.
Alone by the campfire on a cool, cloudless evening, I reflected on the work God was doing in my heart as our family rested with him. He was replenishing me, nurturing me, and inspiring me.
How can I carry these rhythms back to our everyday spaces where dentist appointments, grocery shopping trips, and errands fill our days? How can I carry these rhythms beyond the silence of the northern forests and back to the drone of lawnmowers and the sound of garbage trucks growling down the roads? I asked myself as the smoke washed over me in grey wisps.
3 Practical Ways to Rest With God Amid a Full Schedule
These questions led me to reflect on the lessons I could carry home with me. I pulled out my journal and wrote down three practical ways to rest with God amid the fullness of my life at home.
1. Rest with God by holding your agenda loosely.
One of the greatest blessings of getting away from home for a weekend is the change of pace.
We throw the schedule out the window, and we are spontaneous. As a family, we decide whether to go swimming or hiking, go to the creek or to the reservoir, relax at camp, or look for creatures.
Most of our daily schedules don’t offer this same expanse of flexibility, but most of us can make small adjustments. We can let ourselves choose between the scenic route and the highway. We can fight for margin time to linger longer with friends and resist the temptation to hurry.
2. Rest in God’s joy every day.
The book that didn’t speak to me at home spoke to me in the woods because I found space to rest while I read it in the wilderness.
I stepped out of the rhythms of hurry and created space to hear the Lord’s voice.
Adding an extra hour of rest to my days at home might not be possible, but I can find ten minutes—ten minutes to do nothing but lean back and enjoy being with God while he enjoys being with me. I might gaze out the window, sip coffee, or simply close my eyes and imagine him holding me. I’ve learned that this is the truest and deepest kind of rest.
3. Create space for whimsy and play.
I write about whimsy often because it bears repeating.
Building campfires, swimming, hiking, enjoying picnic dinners in the deep woods, exploring new roads, and watching the kids twirl glowsticks on summer nights are playful activities for our family. Time at our camp includes plenty of opportunities for this sort of whimsical playfulness.
Sadly, our weekends at home are often marked by household projects and errands. We forget to leave space to play. As a result, we are not rested, and we often feel burned out and overworked.
Instead of filling every minute with work, what if we took time to pull out board games, play tee-ball in the yard, gather around a fire with marshmallows, or splash in the nearest stream? This sort of whimsical play might just fill our souls.
Our weekend at camp eventually drew to a close. However, the time away shifted something deep within me. I’m holding onto it and cultivating it.
God wants to help you learn to rest with him, too. What shift is he calling you to make in your life?
This is an updated edition of a post originally published on Stacey Pardoe
Featured Image by freestocks on Unsplash
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