Let’s Go Back: Returning to Rest when Life Won’t Slow Down

Let’s Go Back: Returning to Rest when Life Won’t Slow Down

And just like that, summer is over.

Summer vacation, that is. The heat is forecasted to stick with us for a while yet. The kids are back to their studies and our weekly routine is becoming more…routine.

swimmers-79592_1920I’m not sure what happened to the lazy days of summer, but we didn’t see many of them this year. All three kids swam on our neighborhood swim team and had a blast. A six-times-a-week blast. Then our son started cross country with one, then two, now three practices a week. There were other activities as well, like VBS and STEM camp and playdates.

While the kids were busy, I spent a lot of time writing and even tackled a few painting projects. Our summer was definitely full.

But as the school year approached and I went into prep mode for our homeschool and co-op, I realized life was about to get even busier.

Not going to lie – I’ve had a few meltdowns trying to keep up with everything. One night I jolted awake, gasping for breath as I realized I was in the middle of a panic attack. It seemed strange, because I wasn’t mentally worried about anything. Yet the emotional stress of trying to juggle all my responsibilities was taking its toll.

The irony of my current writing project has not escaped my notice. I mean, really. I’m writing a book on soul rest. It seems I may have picked the wrong topic.

Until I remember that I’m writing it because I’m learning it.

Rest is on my heart because God’s teaching me to rest it in the middle of our everyday crazy. Things may not slow down, at least not for long. But Jesus’ invitation to “come rest” remains unchanged in each life season.

Here are a few things He’s teaching me on this crazy, busy road:

  • Soul rest takes returning

“Return to your rest, my soul, for the Lord has been good to you” (Psalm 116:7). In the busyness, it’s easy to become unsettled. To grow restless when life feels out of control or when our insides are knotted up for one reason or another.

Living from a heart of rest requires a choice – a conscious decision to cling to faith over feelings, to let God draw us back to Himself as our Source of peace.

  • Soul rest has a Source

The psalmist found rest in remembering God and we can, too. Right in the middle of life’s crazy, without waiting for things to calm down, we must remind our hearts of who God is:

  • He is abundantly good, even when life isn’t.
  • He responds to my prayers.
  • He is gracious, compassionate, and faithful.
  • He is infinitely powerful.
  • He’ll never call me where His grace won’t sustain me.
  • He’s already provided, in Jesus, everything I need to live the life to which He’s called me.
  • He loves me unconditionally and welcomes me to come running – freely, boldly, to Him.
  • He is, and always will be, for me.

The bottom line, I’m learning, is that soul rest is a walk of faith.

Whether I’m sitting at His feet in prayer or driving my kids to yet another lesson or practice, I can rest fully and freely in my relationship with Jesus. He never changes and His definition of me is constant, too.

When you know you’re relentlessly loved and fully accepted, life gets a whole lot easier.

That is the reality for every follower of Jesus. Will you join me in resting in this truth today?

How do you practice soul rest? I’d love to hear – please comment below to join the conversation! Or click here to join my email group and receive access to all the Bible Study printables in my free resource library.

returning to rest

One-on-One Time

One-on-One Time

We call it “One-Oh Time” in our house.

My littlest coined the phrase a while back. In was her baby-talk way of asking me to spend “one-on-one time” with her. We laughed at the cute expression, but it stuck. Now we all use the term for our special mommy-and-me times.

Our kids need more than training and discipline. They need us.

We started this practice of one-on-one time a few years ago during a particularly frustrating parenting season. My days were spent correcting and instructing, yet the negative behavior continued. My husband suggested that maybe our kids needed some focused alone time with me – just the two of us having fun together.

Sure enough, it made a world of difference. Contentment settled in. Each child seemed to come alive as I joined him or her in doing things they love to do.

Our kids need more than training and discipline. They need us. They need to be reminded that we love them, that we enjoy spending time with them, that we think they’re really special – no matter how they behave.

Having fun together is a great way to help them remember.

Here are some tips for spending one-on-one time with our kids:

  • Let them choose

I don’t particularly love LEGOS – I’m a bit clueless when it comes to creating masterpieces from tiny bricks. But all three of my kids love playing with them, so LEGO building is a frequent choice for our times together. Sometimes we read books (my favorite). Other times we color or play a game. They all love the chance to pick our one-on-one activity.

  • Unplug

My phone is a frequent distraction. To eliminate the problem, it’s helpful to put it somewhere away from our hang-out spot. Text messages and notifications can wait. Putting our devices aside communicates to our kids that they are our priority.

  • Focus on the relationship

Whatever activity they choose, these alone times are a beautiful way to deepen our friendship with our kids. Ask open-ended questions. Talk about what’s going on in their lives. Point out things you love about them.

As we invest in our kids through focused time together, we model the heart of our God who takes great delight in His kids.