"Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language."

•  Henry James

“I still need more healthy rest in order to work at my best. My health is the main capital I have, and I want to administer it intelligently.”

• Ernest Hemingway

        I adore summer! Winter feels like this long stretch of cold, that seeps into my bones and makes life feel heavy and hard. But as soon as that summer warmth hits… I feel my energy returning and a good measure of joy! With summer comes vacation, travel, volunteering, parties, opportunities to be with friends and family. Before I know it, summer can grow so busy that I am missing the REST that I need before fall arrives.

        Around all the busyness and the fun, summer does offer the chance to take a rest. To carve out some time for the things that bring life to our soul. It’s an invitation to enjoy the beauty of nature! The question is… will we take the time to find true rest in God amidst the hustle and the bustle of summer activities?

        I have seen this in my own life! The desperate need to pause from all the rush. The summer can be so full of good things! I know that I want to fill my family’s days full with swimming lessons, time with friends, summer camps, parties and of course, my favorite, family vacations. But I also feel this call in my heart. A deep desire to slow life down enough that I can breathe and enjoy the moments and find rest. Let’s look at what biblical rest means, practical steps you can take and ways you can integrate rest into your summer plans.       

Understanding Biblical Rest

      "On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation."

• Genesis 2:2-3

       I bet you have heard the story. You know, the one where God created the whole world in six days and then he blessed the seventh day and declared it holy and rested. Did you catch that? … God rested.  And since that story takes place at the very beginning of the Bible, it stands to reason that rest is very important to God and very important to the way he set up the world

        I recently read The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer.  If you are looking for a whole book about why we need more rest in our lives and how to implement it into your whole life, that is the book you should read.

        I really loved all that he had to say about how our bodies and souls need rest and also how we can grow from an unhurried, simplified pace of life. This quote really stuck out to me: 

“We hear the refrain “I’m great, just busy” so often we assume pathological busyness is okay. After all, everybody else is busy too. But what if busyness isn’t healthy? What if it’s an airborne contagion, wreaking havoc on our collective soul?” 

        So often, I have said those exact words. “I’m great, just busy!” I wear busy as a badge, proof that my life is valuable and that I have purpose. But what if that is not the way it should be? What if Rest and Simplicity and creating space in our lives is actually what our goal should be?

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

• Matthew 11:28-30

        God is inviting you to rest in him. He knows that we are overwhelmed, that we carry heavy burdens, and that we are busy. Which is why, I believe, he makes this invitation and gives us advice for how to implement rest in our own lives. He wants us to enjoy seasons of rest. Things like Sabbath, meditation, prayer, and the advice that we abide in him.

        I know that when I am so busy I don’t observe my Sabbath or daily devotional time, I am the poorer for it. It impacts my energy, my mood and my ability to connect with others. However, by abiding in Christ and observing rest, I find myself renewed and better able to handle life with grace and joy.  

Practical Steps to Find Rest in God

        So, if we are supposed to find rest in God, and set aside time. How do we actually do that? Life is busy. There is always more to be done or that can be done. Which means that rest is not a passive thing we can wait for, trusting it will just appear at the right time. Instead, we must set aside the time and make the decision that it is a priority for us. Every person’s schedule is different, so are the things they need to find rest. Which means, it might be a trial-and-error process as you find the best way to find rest.

        Here are a few things you can try to see if they work for you!

• Daily Devotional Time

         Find time every day, maybe in the morning when you wake up, or later when there is a calm in your day. You can create a daily devotional time that serves you! Maybe you listen to music, or read your Bible, journal, pray, or even go through a Bible study book. Try out different activities and see what works for you.

• Mindfulness and Meditation on Scripture

         There are some great apps for this! Dwell allows you to listen to Bible playlists, or choose a listening plan. You could try Lectio360, which helps you develop a mindful practice for studying the Bible. You can also try choosing Bible verses to memorize.

• Prayer and Reflection

         Prayer can and should be a part of our daily lives! Whether you like to pray in snippets throughout your day, or perhaps you like to journal your prayer. Use this time to connect with God and calm your heart and mind.

• Extended Times Alone with God

         This is a habit and routine that I actually learned from the Navigators ministry. You can choose a half day or a whole day, maybe once a month or once a quarter. Then you go somewhere that marks a peaceful place for you, a garden, the mountains, a beach, your favorite coffee shop, or even a special place in your own home. Taking the specific time to seek out God, you can take extra time to study the Bible, pray, journal, and find fun ways to worship. It can be such a life-giving practice!

Integrating Rest into Summer Plans

        The truth is that despite our very best intentions, our schedule will fill up. And if we aren’t careful, we will have no time for all these good and restful practices. Time will pass and we will have missed the opportunity. Instead, we can take hold of the calendar! Schedule the rest you need, first. After rest is already on the calendar, you can fill up your time with all the wonderful things of summer!

        Here are a few ways to help yourself plan out your summer rest!

• Sabbath Practices

         Even during summer activities, you can observe a weekly Sabbath! I’ll be honest, I work at a church so Sundays for me are not very restful. I create my own Sabbath, by blocking off Mondays. I don’t schedule anything. I take the day with my family to rest, to enjoy life and to find some rest.

• Vacationing with Purpose

        One of my very favorite things that I have started doing is scheduling Sabbath vacations for my family! We choose a beautiful and soothing place to go, we pack up books and board games. We take a break from screens. Then we rest with purpose. It is so life-giving! I suggest you give it a try. It doesn’t even have to be long. It can just be a weekend. It is less about the time, and more about the intention.

• Balancing Activities and Rest

         For a full life, we need fun and work and rest. All three together create a balance and a flow. To find that balance, takes trial and error and an understanding of what you and your family will need. Yet I have found that this balance goes out of whack if I am not careful to put them on my calendar. As you learn what works for your family, make adjustments. Add in more rest when you need it. And find more life-giving and fun things to fill up that time and create memories!

Finding Rest Just in Time

        As I’m writing this, a family of four is walking past my window. I have it open to let in the early summer weather. I can hear them laughing and enjoying the time together. That is rest. Walking in the early evening, enjoying time together and watching the sunset.

        That is what I want more of in my life!

        I want to set aside time in my schedule for what matters most in my life. Time with my family. Time to do the things I love most. And time to seek after a relationship with God.

“Because what you give your attention to is the person you become. Put another way: the mind is the portal to the soul, and what you fill your mind with will shape the trajectory of your character. In the end, your life is no more than the sum of what you gave your attention to. That bodes well for those apprentices of Jesus who give the bulk of their attention to him and to all that is good, beautiful, and true in his world.”

• John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry

         My hope and prayer for you this summer is that you can find rest in God. That the busyness of life doesn’t wear you down. Instead, may you find the space and time in your own life for the practices of rest that will most benefit you and your family.

        Come back to this blog post as often as you need it. Test out my ideas, and then try your own. Invite your friends and families on this journey of rest with you.

        Perhaps you can even commit to incorporating rest into your summer schedules, then your fall schedules and on and on until it is a true habit that serves you well.

        Please find us on social media and share with us the practices of rest that you find most helpful! We can’t wait to hear from you. Follow the blog for more ways to add grace and hope into your daily life.