Rest

I returned home yesterday from a weekend visiting friends in Atlanta. I have to say that it was one of the most restful weekends I’ve ever spent up there. Normally, it’s all about tons of shopping, eating at great restaurants, going out, meeting people, etc., etc., etc. It never stops. And that’s what I was expecting this weekend. I even told a co-worker on Friday that I was looking forward to the trip, but also kind of dreading it because of how tired I would be when I got home.

I’m glad to say that’s not the case. We barely left the house. I got to sleep in every day, and got breakfast in bed Saturday and Sunday. We watched a bunch of movies, and Ashley cooked a great dinner every night. We got to hang out and talk about everything from God to food to relationships to music. We told stupid jokes and laughed at nothing until we were doubled over and couldn’t talk anymore. All in all, it was a great, restful weekend.

It got me thinking, though. I have traditionally been very protective of the concept of taking a Sabbath. Even in the busyness of the last few weeks, I’ve still been taking one more than not. Problem is, all I tend to do with a day off is, well, nothing. I sit around, maybe watch tv and take a nap or something, and feel guilty about all the thousands of things I should be doing instead. So yes, I’m taking a day off, and it always involves extra sleep, but am I actually resting? Judging by the way I feel the next day, the answer is a resounding “NO!”

The struggle to find rest is not a new thing for me. I’ve fought this before, even blogged about it before. But what occurs to me now is that it’s not just about whether or not I take a day off; it’s about what I do with it. Resting isn’t just about being passive and not doing anything. I think it’s more about finding out what refreshes my soul and doing that. Sometimes it’s a nap or a movie, yes, but sometimes I need a long talk with a good friend or a nice orchestral concert or that book I’ve been meaning to finish for weeks. (There’s always a book I’ve started and abandoned.)

So that’s my new revelation, which gives me a new obvious goal: to do something I enjoy every week that refreshes my soul.