In Praise of Rest

Friday March 14, 2014 



Who wouldn’t praise rest? 


We all need it—crave it, in fact—yet we turn our backs on rest and turn back to our tasks.

It’s so easy to buy into society’s notion that work equals worth…but that never brings peace.

Stay tuned for my fifth favorite today, as usual a quote—one that extols the value of rest.

I'm joining the ladies of Friday's Fave Five today as we recount the blessings of the week. Won't you join us?

My favorites this week:

1. Time. Spring Break this week has yielded time to read, write, wonder, plan, create. It has been wonderful.

2. Lunch out! My hubby just called and offered to take me to lunch. Another perk of Spring Break!

3. The beginnings of a book proposal. I got a major brainstorm while at Florida Christian Writers Conference, and I’m working on a proposal. I’m excited! Bonus #3: The opportunity to guest post this week, where I shared the story of amazing lessons learned in the darkness. And Adelle Gabrielson, my host, made a beautiful pin you can see here on my blog and at her place.

4. Oklahoma! The next couple of weeks promise to be busy ones, as we near opening night for Oklahoma!, our school’s spring musical. Love Rodgers and Hammerstein, and love the kids of the cast and crew!

5. A quote: 

“O day of rest! How beautiful, how fair.” (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) 

I’ve had several “rest days” this week, and they have indeed been beautiful and fair. They make me long for more days of rest, but they also give me fuel to go on.

You’re getting two quotes for the price of one today because I have to share what Shelly Miller wrote on the subject:

“[R]esiliency is fueled from previous rest periods, of quiet and stillness abiding in His presence. By neglecting Sabbath for work, the result is often a lesson in futility...When we allow our outside environment to dictate our inner worth, identity becomes lopsided…Abiding in Christ through routine rest is the secret to flourishing….” 

Too often, I let my outside environment dictate my inner worth, and tasks take over.

Wadworth’s quote is short, sweet, and easy to remember: “O day of rest! How beautiful, how fair.”

Wishing you times of rest this week,

10 comments:

Gattina said...

It's nice to have some rest days ! I am resting the whole year long, I don't even know the weekends anymore except that on Sundays all shops are closed, lol !

Jerralea said...

Routine rest ... that has a nice ring to it!

I'm guilty of always wanting to accomplish something when I have extra days off. It is very hard to rest!

Faith said...

ah....rest days how i love them and have to remember to actually REST to get refreshed cause i DO get involved in too many tasks sometimes. It's been helping to just come home from working with the special little ones and just sitting for a few minutes to pray, reflect, read, get in the Word, etc. And...i saw your comment about coming up here to NY!!!!! WHOO HOO!!!!! omgoodness, let me know closer to the time (give me about 2 days notice) and if you are near the capital region/adks at all I definitely wanna meet you!!! guess what? Claire, my 15 yr old, is at Shaker High and they are doing Oklahoma too in about 3 weeks. Sadly, this is the first spring since she was in 3rd grade that she hasn't been involved in a musical. She said she is DONE and just wants to concentrate on russian, key, life clubs and then of course ballet. I'm gonna miss seeing her in the musicals. am hoping she changes her mind next year!! enjoy your weekend.

Barbara H. said...

I'm excited to hear more about your new book!

We're contrary creatures - we want to rest when it is time to work and work when it is time to rest.

Haven't had a lunch date in long time!

It must be the year for musicals - the high school a bunch of kids and teachers from our church attend is doing a spring musical, too, but I forget which one.

Mia said...

Oklahoma is a fun one! Hope everyone enjoys themselves.

How lovely to have a lunch date. :o)

Glad you got to enjoy some extra time during spring break- especially to create! And to get some rest. What a great reminder that routine rest fuels us to flourish.

Willow said...

Love that quote: "how beautiful, how fair." So true. It's a reminder I need this weekend.

Your spring break seems early although my daughter in law had spring break this week. The Professor has one more week of teaching and then a week off. I have to wait until the weeks before and after Easter which is very late this year.

Hurray for book proposals!!

Hazel said...

I'm glad it's rest you featured this week. I need some so I'll try to get some this week; put it on the to-do list. I love that Longfellow quote. Beautiful and convincing!

nikkipolani said...

So it isn't just me, glad for some rest from the busyness of life this week.

Congrats on your book idea. The writing process is clearly something you love. Hope you have an inspiring week :-)

Susanne said...

Hubby and I were just talking about how we need a rest break. We, unfortunately, don't get a spring break but were tossing around the idea of an over-nighter to the big city. Sounds good to me!

How exciting that you are getting new ideas for a book.

Susan said...

I have been making rest a regular part of my week for about 6 months now. Sometimes I fret because I don't as much done as I want. But I am slowly noticing that I am actually getting done what needs to be done and with a different (better) inner attitude. However, it is not a habit YET... it is still easy to neglect.

Have a great week back to school, Laura.

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