Choose Rest

This summer was one for the books. From June until the end of August, I wasn’t home for longer than a week and a half at a time. Looking at the calendar for too long stressed me out, but I reminded myself that the things I chose to put on the calendar were all good things. After a spring filled with home improvement projects and kids’ sports activities, I thought our summer would be slower, but my calendar said otherwise.

We had family camping trips, visits with out-of-state family, church camp, a writing conference, and the unique and wonderful experience of being extras on the show The Chosen. Like I said, all good things.

Summer is my favorite season, and there is nothing I enjoy more than relaxing on my back patio with a book in hand. After traveling for three weeks in June, my body ached for rest. My husband and I have been intentional for many years about embracing Sabbath rest, and while I’m sure there is always room for improvement, we don’t do any house or yard work on Sundays, and I aim to have an easy option for dinner. We try our best to make our Sundays as restful as possible.

However, after three weeks on the road, which had immediately followed one of our busiest months with end-of-school-year events and spring sports, including a Sunday dance recital and another Sunday theatre after-party (of which I was in charge), I could feel in my body that I needed rest.

Then, after being home for a week full of birthday festivities, I declared to my husband, “We are not doing anything tomorrow after church!” I wasn’t running to Kroger for a few things; we wouldn’t go to the store to look for the patio umbrella we needed; we were not doing anything!

It was a beautiful eighty-degree day, and my whole family spent most of it outside, relaxing. No agenda, no plans, no errands—just rest. Sometimes choosing rest can be hard. It can feel lazy or unproductive, but choosing rest is necessary.

At the end of our day of rest, my husband said, “We need to do this more.” YES!

We are actually created and commanded to rest! After God created the whole world, he rested on the seventh day. Then, in Exodus, right smack in the middle of the Ten Commandments, we are commanded to rest!

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” (Ex. 20: 8-11 NIV)

Hebrews chapter 4 is all about a Sabbath rest for God’s people, and I encourage you to spend some time reading it.

One thing really pierced me as I was reading it: “Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it” (Heb. 4:1 NIV).

I undoubtedly had “fallen short.” You see, what my husband and I had started years ago had somehow morphed into a new normal. When we started observing a Sabbath rest, we were very intentional in making sure our Sundays were free from errands, housework, cooking, yard work—anything that wouldn’t be restful. However, after time, and “Oh, I just need to grab a few things from Kroger,” our Sabbath rest was no longer restful. While we didn’t “work,” we were far from resting.

Friend, as a new season begins to unfold in front of us with school starting back up, fall sports, new ministries launching at church, I urge you to choose rest. As you enter dates on the calendar for all the activities, add Sabbath rest to your calendar, too. If you are unsure where to start or how that should look for you, spend some time with Jesus in prayer and reading Scriptures about rest and Sabbath. He desires for you to rest. You were created and commanded to rest.

“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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matt. 11: 28-30 NIV)

Heather Gerwing is living the full life with her husband, Jeff, four kids, and a dog in Metro Detroit. Heather enjoys reading, writing, coffee-ing, and serving in youth ministry. She was born a Jersey girl and feels most at home on a beach. She is the host of the monthly link-up, Share Four Somethings. You can join Heather on the journey to living the full life at www.heathergerwing.com.