My husband and I just got home from our first real vacation since our honeymoon, a little over nine years ago.
With our families being scattered across the US, our “vacations” have generally been devoted to going home for the holidays. I’m sure many of our She’s Intentional readers can relate to this!
As much as we love our families and truly enjoy spending time with them, and I don’t say this simply because they may read this blog post (Hi, Mom!), we needed a real vacation!
By real vacation, I mean just the two of us getting away from all the busyness of life to relax, spend quality time together, and recharge.
The funny thing is, it’s always just the two of us!
We have no children yet.
Our families don’t live close by, and my husband works from home, which means we are always together.
All. The. Time. (This makes me very happy!)
But, life is so busy!
My husband is bi-vocational, meaning that in addition to pastoring a church plant in Seattle, he also works a full-time job. And, I’m the girl who generally has about fifty different things all going on at once.
Why I do this to myself, I don’t know. I’m trying to say ‘no’ a little more often.
I could go on, but our story is not that unique. Some of you have more going on in your life than we do.
Some of you are trying to work your way through college.
Some of you have children, and may even be raising your babies on your own.
Some of you just got a new job or promotion.
Some of you are battling illness, whether it’s you or someone close to you.
Some of you are church ministry directors.
Some of you are facing financial uncertainty.
Most of us are dealing with stressful situations, both short-term and long-term.
All of us need rest.
Rest in the chaos that is this busy, fast-paced, ever-moving world we live in.
Rest can come in many different ways: For us, it was a much needed, weeklong vacation. A vacation with no work, limited Internet access, no cell service, yummy food, a little adventure, and a lot of relaxing.
It was a time to de-stress.
It was spending some quality time with each other with no interruptions or emergencies.
Finding rest is going to look different for each of us and will depend on the season of life we find ourselves in. But, finding rest is a must!
Our bodies, minds, and spirits need it!
Psalms 23 reminds us that the Lord makes us lie down in green pastures and He leads us beside still waters. He restores our souls. He prepares a place for us to eat, to be nourished, even when we’re surrounded by our enemies.
Rest!
He does all of this for us… if we let Him.
In the middle of all the chaos, take time to just stop.
Take a deep breath.
Turn to Jesus. Do what it takes to find rest, even if for just a few moments.
It may not change the chaos around you, but it can change you. You will be able to face it feeling refreshed and at peace.
{This message may be especially important to remember as we head into the busy, holiday season!}