I rest because I trust God.
There has been a common theme in my life recently. REST. At church we have been talking about how our souls are doing and how God wants us to actually take a sabbath. I started reading the book ‘Grace, Not Perfection’ by Emily Ley with some friends, and it also talks about living a balanced life that involves rest. The past year has taught me a lot about being present and living slower because I’ve learned what’s actually important in life. (One of my very favorite books I read last year is ‘Chasing Slow’ by Erin Loechner.)
I’ve taken certain steps to live a more balanced life. I do not do photo shoots on Sundays (and only do limited shoots on Saturdays when absolutely necessary). I’ve changed my schedule to work as the Photo + Marketing Specialist at Hoffman International Model + Talent Agency to one day a week, so I have more time to work on my business during the week. This way I can actually spend the evenings with Michael and be more present while I’m getting coffee with a friend, or hanging out with family. I try not to be glued to my phone (which is sadly really hard) and I don’t usually respond to emails or work related calls during the evenings or weekends.
Rest doesn’t have to mean just taking naps and watching TV. I’m consciously trying to “rest” in other ways too, like making time for old hobbies I haven’t done in awhile. I’m in the process of making dried flower necklaces, and have been reading actual books instead of only listening to audiobooks. (I’m still doing that too of course.) I really want to pick up a paintbrush and canvas soon. Just for fun. Just to release and be me. It’s refreshing to take time to do things because I enjoy them. My go-to is to watch Netflix but I’m trying to be present even in my resting. (Trust me, I still watch Netflix too, just not all of he time.) To do the things that give me joy. To feel good about how I spend my time. To be present when I am spending time with Michael, family and friends. Some days I still struggle with wanting to do all of the things—to do more, create more, make more money, get more clients, make more people happy. More. More. More. But I’m trying to remember that I trust God with my life, which is trusting Him with my time. If He wanted me to be constantly doing MORE MORE MORE then He wouldn’t have said, “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. . . . 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
Do you feel like you need to rest more? What are some ways you can make time for rest, and how do you want to spend that time? I would truly love to hear your answers and for us to encourage one another!
