This last Saturday my husband and I helped friends move into a new apartment. My husband did a lot of heavy lifting in warm temperatures and I did what I could given I’m in the third trimester of pregnancy. By the time we headed home, we were beat.
Fatigue like this is normal. It’s part of our human nature to be tired after we’ve completed the work before us. Even Jesus got tired and needed sleep (Luke 8:22-25). Because God designed our bodies to need rest, He also provided a way for us to get this rest:
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep 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, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Exodus 20:8-11
God took this need for rest so seriously that He didn’t just allow us to take a break—He command us to!
I felt convicted last week that I haven’t been taking this need for rest very seriously. I knew immediately that I needed to take some time to get physical rest and also engage in some specific work to prepare my heart and home for the baby my husband and I will welcome in October. Subsequently, I’m going to take a break of sorts over the next couple of weeks.
I’ll only be putting up one post each week during this time. Given many of you are doing back-to-school shopping and taking last minute summer vacations, you may not even notice the decrease in frequency! As August draws to a close, I’ll make some updates and improvements to the site and then resume my normal schedule (2-3 posts each week). I may post to social media (Pinterest and Facebook) on occasion during the break, but I’ll mostly be engaged in activities I find to be relaxing: reading, baking, napping, sewing for the baby, etc.
I hope you will take a few minutes to consider your situation. Are you taking rest seriously? Whether it means taking a nap, cutting back on your commitments, or taking a sabbatical from work, I hope you will take steps to get the rest that God intended for you to have.
Good for you!
Get sleep now and spend time with friends. You’ll be glad you did. 🙂
Yes, I’ll be glad I did. I’m grateful to be able to take the break.
Enjoy the break! Very important to not overextend. It’s good to remember God wants us to rest on the Sabbath, when we are all trying to avoid being the lazy wife of Proverbs.
Thanks, Lisa! I’m enjoying the time to rest.