I’ve had a word in my heart for a few weeks now. Which is interesting, since the revelation was revealed to me a few months ago, but yet, the need to share with all of you stirred just recently.

I was burnt out. I know I’ve experienced this a few times with all of you, but it seems, I’m still learning – 1) How to avoid it 2)it apparently has more lessons to teach me.

So, here I was, yet again, reaching the end of everything I have, and your body kicks into survival mode almost. Just doing, just enough, to get you through each day, and that’s it. That’s all you get. No more, and maybe less. Your brain just isn’t cooperating with you anymore. It’s trying to tell you – you need to stop. SoMeThInG needs to come off your plate. You need to back up, and recenter. You need to realign with God.

So – that’s exactly what I did. I took 2 weeks off work. 2 weeks!! First time, ever, in 20 years of working and having a job, I have never, ever not worked for 2 whole weeks. And, it was refreshing, and restoring, and rejuvenating. It helped me get my bearings. It helped me dig deeper, into the things that matter. It got me in touch, with me. And, apparently, I had a lot of stuff to work out.

Which, is fine. And, will probably get played out here, to some extent for years to come. Since, during that time, I discovered I also had some healing to do. And, God wanted to do that with me, and that – is also fine. It’s where I’m at in my journey, and it’s something that I wanted to do. Which is all good things – and my Father wants good things for me.

But – circling back to taking time off, I also decided that this was a stay-cation of sorts, and I literally made almost 0 plans for 2 weeks. I would be flying by the seat of my pants. Which, for anyone who knew me – 5+ years ago (just a little before I started this blog) – seems insane. I was the literal definition of a control freak. So – 2 weeks, without plans?!?!? Who does that??

I did that. And, it was fantastic. I made 2 “plans” during that time frame.

1) Some camping would be involved, we did go camping for 3 of the 14 days.

2) I would be spending every morning with God, as long as I felt necessary, and more as needed.

With this second tidbit – I found a devotional, on burnout – kinda. Devotional on Resting. And, deep within the throws of this devotional, I stumbled across this information. And, it is – an absolute game-changer.

I would like to portray this information to you, the same way it pieced together for me.

²⁹ Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

2 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. ³ Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Genesis 1:29-31; Genensis 2:1-3

We’ve all read this before. We know the story. God made the whole world, and on the seventh day, He rested.

He rested.

He rested.

He rested.

WHHHHYYYYYYYY??? Why, does the omnipresent, omniscient creator of the Universe – who never sleeps….. rest?

I don’t know about you, but the thought, never crossed my mind before. Why did He rest? If you really pause to think about it, it suddenly doesn’t make sense, does it? When you think about other people, it’s obvious, they need rest. But, for as many times as I have read the verses, and known the story, and literally read that scripture. Not once, did I pause to think, Why, in the good gravy, did God rest on the seventh day? He doesn’t need to? He never sleeps, he doesn’t get tired, or weary. It’s almost like your brain is on auto-pilot, just glosses right through it. And He rested.

But, can I pose this to you? He rested – to show us. To be a model for us. Because He knew that our little human lives get soooooo busy. And, we have to pick the kids up, and drop them off, and go to the games, and the concerts, and make the dinners, and schedule the plans, and DO ALL THE THINGS!! I mean! Come ON!! You have to do all the things, all the time, and there’s no time!!!

But, here God was, in his all-knowingness, showing us that He rested. That there is power in resting. That what is the point of doing all the things, if you never get to take a minute, to look at all the good work you have done and enjoy it?

That, dare I say, Satan would love for you to be soooo busy, that you can’t stop. That you’re too busy to go to Wednesday night church. That you’re too busy to go to that Bible Study? That you’re too busy to stop and ask people to pray for you because you’re really struggling? That you’re too busy to wake up 10 minutes earlier so you can have a quick devo or a short prayer with God before you head out on your day?

That, God is trying to show you, that rest is a weapon.

That people who work over 55 hours a week, have significantly higher health risks and their productivity drops significantly. Huh, the more you work, the less productive you are….

Do I dare to challenge you, what do you consider work? The 40 hour job you hold? Or are you also taking into consideration, all the other stuff you do? Because, I would like you to consider, that your body might consider that work too. What about all the driving?? Isn’t that work? You’re operating a machine, for some people it is a job, delivery driver, truck driver, etc. Are we taking it for granted? You have to be aware, and alert, and we all know it’s more dangerous to drive when we’re tired, so wouldn’t that be considered work too?

So – if you look at your life, like that… How much are you working?

Better question – how much are you resting? Not just sleeping, resting? How much time are you spending pouring back into you? Are you taking as good of care of you, as you are of your children? Of your loved ones? How do you think God feels about that? I mean, you’re His kid. Do you think, He might be asking you to go to bed earlier? He might be telling you to slow down, stop running.

That Rest is a Weapon. In Rest, we find strength. We find healing. We find purpose. We find God. He’s there, like a gentleman, just waiting for you to come take a seat.

I’m going to try to really dig into this with you in the coming weeks. But I just want to let that settle in for a while. I really want you to consider what slowing down or rest might mean for you.

Let’s Pray

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you. Thank you for being a role model to us. Thank you, for showing us, how you want us to be. That there is rest within you. That you want rest for us. That you are guiding us through this season, and our lives, to know that we need rest. Rest that you give. That your yoke is easy, and your burden is light. That you are guiding us, and protecting us, Father God. That you are in the gentle whisper, and the quiet, still, small voice. That you want good things for us. That you are guiding us, in your will and your way. Bless Us Father God. Restore us. And let us live, in Your Rest, and Refreshment. That you may fill us with your living water all the days of our lives. IN JESUS’ NAME!! AMEN!