The past month has been the most different month in my life. Honestly, it has been the biggest whirlwind and I never imagined my life would be this way [in the best way].
If you are new to the blog, or maybe don't know what happened in the past few months... I resigned from my job, got engaged, packed up everything I own, and drove to Cape Town to get married. Since all these life altering adventures, I've been navigating life in a new city, with a new home and new priorities.
Throughout this, one of the biggest lessons that I have learnt, is that restoration only truly happens when we choose to rest in the place that we feel needs to constantly be busy.
Rest is required for restoration.
I am a typically busy person, not busy for the sake of doing things, but I enjoy filling my time effectively. The Covid19 season of slowing down really tested my ability to rest. Something in me almost rejected the concept because my self worth and value were so wrapped up in my constant state of "busyness".
As you can imagine, moving to a new city has really changed my pace of life. I have new priorities and daily routines that fill my time, but because I have [what feels like so much] time, I am learning to be incredibly intentional with using that time differently. But more importantly, I am learning that I am valuable just because I exist, not because of a job or how much I achieve in a day.
Little did I know that God was teaching me to rest because He was in the process of restoring my perception of value. It is only when we truly rest that we start to get a clearer perspective of life.
It's only when we slow down that we start to see more of what is going on around us. When we remove the distractions and reprioritise we see life with more clarity and we can focus on where we want life to take us.
I love the account of creation, a seven day [super intensive work week] masterpiece. And so often when I have read about how God created the universe I focus on God resting once the job was complete, which is absolutely true, and how I should shape my life around resting once the job is 100% finished.
Genesis 2v1 The Message
Heaven and Earth were finished, down to the last detail.
By the seventh day God finished his work.
On the seventh day he rested from all his work.
God blessed the seventh day.
He made it a Holy Day because on that day he rested from his work, all the creating God had done.
But, I am not God! You and I are part of God's creation.
We are created to rest first.
Genesis 2 The Message
v5 At the time God made Earth and Heaven, before any grasses or shrubs had sprouted from the ground - God hadn't yet sent rain on Earth, nor was there anyone around to work the ground (the whole Earth was watered by underground springs) - God formed Man out of dirt from the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life. The Man came alive - a living soul.
v8 Then God planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it...
v15 God took the Man and set him down in the Garden of Eden to work the ground and keep it in order.
We are created to rest first.
This scripture really solidified this thought for me. Before there was any work to do, before there was anything for humans to take care of and be responsible for, God created a human - we are created as beings, not as doings.
God created a human and the very first thing that he did was rest.
God created us to rest so that we can work [not the other way around].
We are not God. We need His rest so we can take care of even just our everyday, mundane responsibilities. It's been God's design from the beginning.
In the same way, if we are looking for restoration, we first need to look for rest.
Rest is required for restoration.
Sundays are a day of rest, not as a rest from the crazy week, but to start the week in a state of rest so that we are restored for the next week.
If you're constantly living for the moment of rest you may get at the end of the week, maybe you need to change the way you see your week. Rest should be a priority.
It should be how we start the week.
I may not have a very busy schedule at the moment, but I have definitely learnt the value of resting to work, instead of working to rest.
Rest is a priority in my life, weekends are not approached with a 'thank goodness the week is over' attitude, but rather with a 'how do we want to restore, refresh and rejuvenate to start the next week well' attitude.
So if you're feeling worn out, barely getting through the day, let alone the week, and really need a little 'factory reset' restoration; maybe it's time to rest.
Yes, it will be uncomfortable at first. Rest.
Yes, everything you need to do will still need to be done. Rest.
Yes, you will feel like the need to be busy with endless lists of to-do's. Rest.
Rest is required for restoration.
Imagine what life could look like if we approach everything we do from a place of restoration instead of deprivation.
So go ahead.... Rest.
JCS