Power in REST

Stop. Relax. Breathe.

These are things I have to remind myself to do daily.  So many times I find myself in what seems to be over my head, but then I remember to be still.  The busy street lights, the horns blaring, and the never ending movement of people around me adds to the constant motion of my life.  There are times when all I want is quiet, but the thing is this city is never quiet. There is always some constant noise in the day to day, whether it is the elevator ding right outside my room or the people who constantly stomp on the floor above me, the noise is never ending.

Over the past couple of months I have found myself always feeling tired and sleepy. There is always something that needs to be done school wise, workwise, internship wise, with family, or with friends. The never ending day to day time struggles. Sometimes I find that there seems not enough time in the day to do the things that need to get done.  I couldn't figure out why I was tired all the time, it was really starting to bring down my spirit.  I was becoming irritated at the little things, overwhelmed with the big things, and anxious about the things to come.  I felt like I couldn't grasped all the things that were happening and I wasn't enjoying all that God was blessing me with. Then during my quiet time one day I realized my problem, I didn't have any down time or rest.  I was always doing something and never stopping to just do nothing.  There wasn't any set time that I just took for myself and to spend meditating with the Lord.  I made this a priority to change.

Here are some things I did differently:
1. I made it a priority to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. People always say "you can rest when your dead" well that is true, but living as a zombie until then wasn't an option for me.
2. Taking moments and time throughout the day to stop, relax, and breathe while reflecting on all that is going on.  Taking that moment to see the good that is happening and give thanksgiving, and noticing the bad and praying about it.
3. Take time off! So many people live their lives without every taking a day off to relax and that can be troubling to your soul.  You have to set time for yourself aside if you want to live a happy, healthy life. Right now I don't have a completely full day off, but throughout the week I have set hours where I just sit and do nothing but stare at the wall. And guess what? IT WORKS! Next semester I made it a goal of mine to have a full day of from EVERYTHING, it makes me excited just talking about it.

Always remember to find your rest in the Lord.
 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
~Matthew 11: 28-30 (The Message)

Love always,
Insightful Mel