Rest is one way we can love ourselves better. How do you find rest? Rest does not come accidentally to me and my personality. I do have to "find" it and make time to simply "be" with God. One reason I am so passionate about bolstering others in their own soul care is because I have had to work so hard at caring for my own soul over the years. It's not a natural inclination and yet God invites us to rest. Rest should not feel like work, it should feel like rest. Need some ideas to get started?
Here's a list of ways you may choose to explore rest this summer:
To find rest right now, try practicing one of my favorite ways to rest, Yoga Nidra. Listen below! 
How is it already October? What has become of this year's vision board and goal plan? For me, not much. It is the year of PIVOT! And while it's been tough, I'm finding many silver linings in this invitation and focus shift. Amidst that shifting, I do know I'm hearing this quote from Augustine and a very familiar verse, loud and clear.
Listen.... "Thou has made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee." - Augustine of Hippo “Be still, and know that I am God” – Psalm 46:10 Do you have any stillness or rest in your day? Or, does stillness only find you when you crash in the chair at the end of the day after being all things to all people? Or, does rest evade your mind because although your body is still, you rarely choose to stop scrolling or turn off the news? Do you collapse at the end of a day feeling tired, alone, or even unworthy of being still in God's presence? Are you restless? This restless pondering and verse aren't simply about being still, are they? Nope. There is so much more than stillness in this invitation. We might want to take note of something pretty important in the verse. The word "and" in the sentence. The scripture doesn't just ask us to be still, it asks us to be still AND know. What do we need to know? If you keep reading, verse 11 tells us that “The Lord Almighty is with us.” We aren’t simply told to be still (I was told that in church as a little girl plenty, that's not the same as this). We’re told to be still and know that God is with us. Augustine reminds us God wants us to not only rest but to rest IN GOD. Amidst stress, overwhelm, injustice, worry, changed plans, and pivoting dreams, rest in God. God gives us the ability to do more than just stop worrying or running. God gives us the ability to rest in God and be reminded how much God cares for each of us, especially amidst restless times like these. Today, I invite you to find stillness somewhere in your day AND in that stillness of knowing God is with you. Know that God is your comfort. Know that God is your peace. Know that your Creator longs for you to rest in thee. Reflect: How am I reminded that God is with me? What is causing me restlessness (get specific, consider journaling or praying through these specifics)? When was the last time I experienced stillness and rest WITH God? Where and when can I rest today AND be reminded of God's presence in my life? Action: Let's not choose to be restless in this season, let's choose to rest in God. Need a little help? Press play below and drift off to sleep in God's presence tonight. |
Whitney R. Simpson
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