It's OK to Rest - The Glorious Table

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt. 11:28-29 NIV)

When we think about the busiest times of the year, we tend to think of back-to-school and the holidays, but springtime deserves a spot on that roster, too. There are spring sports and activities, which often demand a lot of time both on weeknights and weekends; end-of-the-schoolyear events, graduations, travel, recitals. Then there are the demands of home: spring cleaning, yard work, planting flowers and gardens. I always find it to be a bit of a shock when May hits and I realize one-third of the year is already over and done. Suddenly, weekends are jam-packed, and I’m almost immediately tired. The world is waking up and turning green all around me, and all I want to do is take a nap. It’s harder to stick to goals and routines, sometimes because it’s simply hard to find time to keep at them with all the additional demands of spring. But I have decided to tell myself it’s OK to rest in busy seasons like this one, to ease up a bit when it comes to what I expect from myself.

Some mornings, when my alarm goes off at dark o’clock, my body resists, and I am learning to ask myself, “Do I need more sleep today?” What am I really feeling in those moments? Is my body honestly in need of more rest, or am I just slow to wake? If it’s the former, I turn over and go back to sleep for an hour. When I do, I have to forego some part of my morning routine; my journaling or reading or exercise will have to be bumped to the afternoon or evening or even to the next day. I’m training myself not to feel guilty about this or like I’ve failed in some way. My routine will be there tomorrow. I can ease up today and get back on the path when I’m rested.

When I was in my twenties, I always powered through illness like there was no other option. I dosed myself with cold medicine and went to work. I took ibuprofen and ignored the headache. I gritted my teeth through the cramps and went for my run. Now, in my forties, I’m learning to slow down for illness, to listen to my body, to be more gentle with myself. It’s OK to rest when my body is battling something. If I’m not feeling well, no one but me can lighten my load.

When Jesus was in need of rest, whether physical or spiritual, he left his duties and rested until he was ready to resume them. I am beginning to give myself permission to do likewise.

We live in a culture where rest isn’t a way of life. We think we need to push hard, set goals, work tirelessly without stopping. We are overcommitted, stretched too thin. Our bodies call for rest, and instead of withdrawing and resting, we medicate them (we even do this with caffeine, don’t we?) and keep going. Our souls call for rest, and instead of withdrawing as Jesus did, we ignore the whisper of the Holy Spirit and keep moving.

What if, instead of pushing through busy seasons and times of illness or fatigue, we make the goal to do as Jesus did and honor our embodied selves and simply rest when we need to?

We moved to a new home in December, and we had about a minute to get settled before the first snow fell. The flower beds, which had sat untended through the fall, were full of leaves that we didn’t have a chance to blow out. Now, the daffodils and tulips have pushed up through all that leaf cover–quite in spite of it, really–and if I think too much about all those leaves, which can’t be easily raked out or blown out at this point, I’m immediately overwhelmed. I need to get down on my hands and knees and scoop them out by hand, which feels like an insurmountable task (I have a lot of flower beds).

What can I do instead? I can plan to spend fifteen minutes every evening out in the flower beds, making a dent in the work, and still taking time to rest. If I do, I’ll enjoy the work, honoring my home but still honoring the needs of my body and soul. I started with two hydrangea bushes that needed to be pruned, cleaning out the dead leaves that had blown in around them, then clipping the dead blooms that had been left to prevent frostbite through the winter and removing dead branches. The next day, I spent fifteen minutes clearing out the lily-of-the-valley bed. One small bit at a time, and it will be done. I don’t need to try to be Superwoman, working without rest.

In living a little more slowly, even during hectic and stressful times, I am also modeling for my children that it’s OK to rest. If Mom, who is always busy with a hundred things yet to do, takes regular time to rest, then they will know that they can do the same. They can live in a way that is God-honoring rather than culture-honoring. They can be fruitful in the ways that matter most, ways in which they are connected with God and the rhythms of created life.

For more on rest, download our free ebook, A Path to Soul Rest: 40 Days to a Slower Pace.

Harmony Harkema has loved the written word for as long as she can remember. A former English teacher turned editor, she has spent the past twelve years in the publishing industry. A writer herself in the fringe hours of her working-and-homeschooling mom life, Harmony has a heart for leading and coaching aspiring writers. She is the owner of The Glorious Table and cohost and producer at The Relatable Homeschoolers podcast. Harmony lives in Michigan with her husband and two daughters. You can find her at HarmonyHarkema.com and on Instagram @harmonyharkema.