Practice of Joy: Resting our Body

“I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I will keep the Lord always before me…Therefore, my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.” -Psalm 16:7-9

In the Jewish tradition, Sabbath begins at sundown, and I have been drawn to this idea of the day starting in the evening. What shifts when we begin to think about our day starting from a place of rest. What if instead of falling into bed exhausted each night. I think of starting a new day with a good night of sleep? 

Tonight, when you go to bed, take a few minutes to review your day.** 

  • For what I am grateful in this day?
  • For what do I need to seek forgiveness?
  • For what do I want clarity, counsel or peace?

As you move through the reflection, release the weight of the day into God’s tender care and keeping, trusting in the wisdom, provision and renewal that a night of rest will bring as you wake to face a new day. 

God, I bring before you all the things of this day. The joys and pains, the accomplishments and the things left undone. May you hold and care for it all as I rest. Amen.

**This is an adaptation of a practice known as the consciousness examen. The ancient practice developed by Saint Ignatius, is a prayer reflection practice that makes space to notice God’s presence, action and guidance in our daily happenings. 

Are there ways you already engage in this practice? How does the idea of working from rest connect with you?

Comfort: Rest in our Body

 “You make my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Surely I have a delightful inheritance.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
My body also will rest secure.”  -Psalm 16:5,6,9 (NIV)

Many of us live with disquieted spirits, unsure of our futures. And we are not alone; 40 million Americans struggle with anxiety. Despite his dire circumstances, David proclaims boldly that his heart is glad and his body secure.  How did he do this?

I read recently that one way to combat stress and anxiety is to examine and align our actions and beliefs. Like railroad tracks running side by side through all kinds of terrain, our lives can run more smoothly when there is alignment.

This simple concept quickly becomes complex as we live in community with others. Finding a path running towards God can be difficult, let alone finding a path where our actions and values line up.  Perhaps it is in fact the challenges we face that help us to arrive at our truest-true. If our spirits continue to turn to a loving and gracious God, we will journey through hopeful places. So that we can say along with the Psalmist, “My body also will rest secure.”

God who knows my inward anxious leanings, guide me to a place of peace. Be gentle with me and lead me in the way everlasting.  AMEN

Practice of Joy: Embracing God’s Provision

“The Lord is my shepherd…he leads me beside still waters.” -Psalm 23:1-2

“Rest ruins our reputation for being superhuman,” writes Saundra Dalton-Smith in her book Sacred Rest. 

While many of us love the imagery of green pastures and still waters, rest usually is the thing that falls to the bottom of our list. The tyranny of the urgent and the cultural pressure of productivity rob us of the gift that rest can be to us. But rest is not a luxury or laziness. It is both gift and necessity. Furthermore, choosing to rest is one way that we can demonstrate our trust and reliance on God’s provision.

Today, focus on the invitation (ahem, requirement) of rest that the Good Shepherd provides. How does it feel to embrace this gift? How did you choose to rest today? 
As I surrender my lists, my priorities, and my busy-ness, may I be renewed and restored. Amen.

Comfort: Rest as God’s Provision

“God my Shepherd!  I don’t need a thing.” -Psalm 23:1 (The Message)

Recently, as my husband and I were in our yard, we heard the cows on a nearby hill munching on grass. They must have been in just the right spot with the wind blowing just so.  What a simple, yet profoundly peaceful, moment. The grass was green, the sun shining, and the cows were content.

Our neighborhood cows are not always so tranquil. Sometimes they bellow with dissatisfaction.  Other times when spooked they take off running down the steep hills. It seems certain they will face-plant. They watch our comings and goings with great curiosity, and occasionally they end up on our side of the fence.

Even though their behavior changes frequently, the pasture stays pretty much the same. The grass is plentiful, there is hay delivery by the farmer in the winter, and they have the hide and hooves to put up with just about any kind of weather. The only thing that really changes is their perception of the world around them.

Like the cows, I am finding that God provides above and beyond what I need, but I have the task of perceiving the Good Shepherd’s provision. God provides what is needed, including restful times of restoration.  

Thank you God for Your provision! May we have the wisdom to perceive it! AMEN

Practice of Joy: Rest as Self Care

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.”  -Psalm 91:4

I believe that God looks at us with kindness. Not in a wishy-washy way, just with sincere kindness. Depending on your personality type or the family system you grew up in, you may have more or less success in treating yourself with kindness.

In the coming week, commit to choosing two things to do for your own self care. Do these things for yourself with kindness. Not because you deserve them. Not because you are being indulgent. But instead, remembering that God loves each of us and desires for us to live healthy lives that include rest and rejuvenation.  

Some self-care ideas:

  • Soak your feet in warm water for 5 min
  • Take a 20 min afternoon nap  (If you have littles or someone you care for, take a nap when they are!)
  • Buy or pick some flowers for you table or counter
  • Sit down and enjoy a beautiful view
  • Schedule a visit with a trusted friend

We would love to hear your everyday, healthy ways of incorporating rest into your life. Please feel free to share them in the comments below.

Comfort: Rest is a Gift

“He will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge.” –Psalm 91:4

“It’s pretty pathetic when a day off for the colonoscopy prep and procedure feels like a vacation,” I nervously joked with three people surrounding my gurney as we waited for the doctor to arrive. Shivering and self conscious in the thin cotton gown, the nurse offered me a heated blanket. “Wow, this just turned into a spa day,” I commented with a smile. “And I’m about to have a great sleep, right?”

Around the internet I’ve seen the quip: If you don’t make time for your wellness, you’ll be forced to make time for your illness.

It’s unpopular to take space for rest in a culture that values productivity. It’s difficult to prioritize rest when there are never ending demands and things to do. And yet, we are (ultimately) the only ones who can prioritize our own health and wellbeing. If we are not well, we cannot fulfill the commitments we’ve made. 

Our God’s design need for rest is a gift. How are you receiving that today? 

May I see both the gifts and imposition of limits, space and rest as a gift from you. Amen. 

Invitation to Rest

After the crush of Maycember (as those tied to the rhythms and intensity of the school schedule refer to it!), we find ourselves in June. Whether or not your schedule changes with the season, the longer stretches of daylight and warmer temperatures bring different demands and opportunities. On our farm, summertime brings additional chores. While I resent the time commitment of mowing, but I love eating produce fresh from the garden and the bouquets of wildflowers that will adorn our dining table in the coming weeks. Summer illustrates the interplay and dynamism of duty and delight. 

Each season holds gifts for us to receive. At times, we may be overwhelmed by life’s demands or bored by our routines and the mundane tasks. Taking time to be intentional in our reflection and action allows us to receive God’s goodness and grace, sustaining us for whatever is unfolding in our lives. 

Throughout the month of June, we invite you to consider the rhythms of rest in your life. Using invitations and blessings from the psalms, Gwen and I are sharings some reflections on the lessons and intersections of rest and renewal in our own lives. May you, too, experience some comfort and joy as you engage the practice of pausing (in all of its forms!). 

Thank You!

We are so grateful to have journeyed through this Lenten season with you. Your comments, likes and shares mean so much to us. As we share our own wonder and wonderings with you, it is our prayer that our words and invitations nurture your soul. May you experience the nearness of God and notice the sacred in the ordinary as you continue to navigate the unfolding of life.

Comfort: Easter Morning

AMEN: Easter Blessing

Sometimes in the winter
cold wraps around me
Where is God?

Sometimes in the night
it’s hard to know
Where God is.

Sometimes we
are the disciples waiting
in the dark
it must have felt
like winter
Where is God?

But
Easter morning
Always 
comes like spring
bursting through the
cold and dark
blossoming with possibility

Jesus is risen
Jesus is here
Jesus is coming again

Joy: Lent Week 5 – Keep us safe

“And keep us safe.” Matthew 6:13

Maundy Thursday services will be held in many churches this week. These services often include a simple meal sometimes called a “love feast” or perhaps a seder meal. These meals are designed to help recount God’s faithfulness to God’s people over many generations.

How has God shown faithfulness to you throughout your life?

Consider marking God’s faithfulness to you in a tangible way this week. Some ideas are:

  • Plant a perennial. Perennials return each year. When it blooms this summer (and in subsequent years) you can be reminded again of God’s faithfulness.
  • Write a list of three ways you have experienced God’s faithfulness and post it in a place you will see it throughout the upcoming week.
  • Do you have faithful friends? Invite them over for coffee or a meal. Do this as an act of thanksgiving to God for your friends.