Have you been called to a season of rest?

I’ve noticed a lot of quiet blogs and websites lately, and a good number of inactive social media profiles.

My website has been uncharacteristically quiet the past several months. Between my mom’s passing and my month in the Holy Land, I haven’t had much time (or inspiration) to be online. I manage to post on a couple of sites occasionally, but I decided to give myself some online breathing room this summer.

Image courtesy of marin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of marin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A lot of us choose to slow down the pace during certain seasons, especially summers. Our homes are chaotic with kids and family, or our schedules are busy with projects and travel. But others of us are slowing down for other reasons.

Some of us hurt. We may ache physically and need the downtime to let our bodies mend. Others of us ache emotionally and need to pull away so our hearts can heal.

Some of us are attending to someone else who’s hurting. The Lord is using us to help provide strength to them during their trial.

Or maybe you’re like me and you’re just tired. Tired of being on the go. Tired of a routine (or lack of one). Tired of so much activity and visual stimulation.

All of those things–activity, lethargy, hurts, service, busyness–can take a toll on us if we’re not careful to listen to the Holy Spirit’s whispers to slow down.

Rests are biblical. When life and ministry took their tolls on His disciples, Jesus told them,

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
~Mark 6:31b (NIV)

It wasn’t easy for the disciples. In this passage the demanding crowds met them in their quiet place, creating even more work for them to do. But after the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus did something interesting:

Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and
go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
~Mark 6:45 (NIV)

Israel landscape

Mount of Beatitudes

Don’t miss that: Jesus MADE the disciples leave.

Whether they felt obligated to hang around and help Jesus wrap up or were energized and wanted to stay and visit, Jesus made them leave because He knew they needed some downtime.

Seasons of rest are necessary, sometimes long overdue, and often easier said than done. I wrestle with all the things I should be doing; things that prove to the people around me that I’m being a productive member of society and getting things done.

Maybe you feel the same way. If God has called you to a season of rest, even if it’s just from social media, it doesn’t matter what the rest of the world thinks or says. I think Paul sums it up perfectly,

Live as children of light … and find out what pleases the Lord.
~Eph 5:8,10 (NIV)

If it pleases the Lord for you to rest this season, REST. With His blessing and ours.

Image courtesy Flickr Commons

Image courtesy Flickr Commons

Tweetable –> When the Lord calls you to a season of rest, REST and don’t worry about what people think. Via @5minutesforfaith

7 Responses to Have you been called to a season of rest?
  1. Barbie
    July 27, 2014 | 1:34 am

    Beautiful Susan, and I can relate. I’ve been in a season of rest. I want to be like that pup at the end of our post!

  2. dawn
    July 27, 2014 | 11:52 am

    Oh, Susan! Refreshing, gentle words here today. I love the images you chose and the way you wove truth in a fresh , inviting way. I so feel God’s Spirit speaking to us all… we need to walk carefully, not to miss His refreshment. Thank you for your words.

  3. Laura Rath
    July 27, 2014 | 7:21 pm

    “…rest and don’t worry about what people think.” – I like this because we do worry about that, don’t we? Whether the people are family members, co-workers, friends, or even blog readers…we worry about what people will think. But Jesus rested—-and He didn’t feel guilty about it! Neither should we. Great post, Susan!

  4. michael byrd
    July 31, 2014 | 4:37 pm

    very moving Susan praise god !http://inyourheadradio.com

  5. Lisha Epperson
    August 8, 2014 | 12:25 am

    I’m all over this Susan. Thank you for the spot on biblical breakdown.

  6. mary
    August 8, 2014 | 7:33 am

    Oh, friend…YES! You hit the nail on the head!!! Just what I have been experiencing and it is like you gave me permission to be at rest. Assurance that it is OK. Thank you…wise words here.

  7. Holly McCutcheon
    May 1, 2016 | 6:53 pm

    Oh boy, Susan…I am being called into a season of rest and I don’t want, nor know how, to take it. My father, my very closest person in my life, my cheerleader and hero, died. There was no memorial service, no funeral, nothing left. Everything in his home was thrown away and his ashes were shipped, across the country, to me. I met my now ex-fiance at that time. He abused me. I got pregnant and left him. He begged that I comeback. He promised reform. We went months without incident but then he began drinking. Then, our newly born son was diagnosed with 22q and CHD. He needed heart surgery. We also got into a car accident, had to move out of our house and stay in NICU at the same time. Breastfeeding wasn’t going well and then my child needed heart surgery. So, I resigned from my job to care for my son, applied for disability for him and was denied due to having more than $2k in my name. So, my fiance became more and more mean and drunk and one morning kicked me and my son out (this was 3 months ago). I called his ex, the mother of his daughter, to find out what she went through with him. She advised me to get a PI and look up his info. He told me he was never married when we met…LIE! HE had been married 3 times and was and is still currently married to his third wife! He was also cheating on….me? I also found out that he went to prison for fraud, drugs, and violence…and domestic violence. So, I have lost everything. I have a special needs son and I am living with friends from our church (he had everyone convinced there of the same story he told me, “never married, loves God, Loves me and his son.) I have no job but I have been told that it is not time for me to get a job but to rest. Trust me…I used to work 2 jobs. It was nothing for me to work 80+ hours a week when I was single. I went a 70 day streak without taking a day off, spare one because I had a migraine. I have a degree. I am educated. I was responsible. I had no debt and money in the bank when I met my ex-fiance. I had an excellent credit score. Now, I feel like a bottom-feeder. No one is making me feel that way but it is just how I feel. I am on food-stamps. I am on medicaid. I didn’t make enough as a teacher and a caregiver to pay for his insurance premiums and his medical expenses. I was “America’s working poor” It is nothing to see 4 doctors in a month for him. And now, I either have Lupus, Lyme or a major thyroid problem because I am chronically tired, sick and many other things are going on. Plus, I have to get reconstructed after my episiotomy because it is affecting my digestive system. And, I might need surgery on my brain because apparently my skull ls crushing my cerebellum hence all the migraines. So, I feel guilty, stupid and worthless not having a job and providing but, if I got a job right now I’d probably explode because there is nothing but stress. I can’t sleep. I worry constantly. I have flashbacks and nightmares about the abuse. This season of rest feels like I am being grounded when in fact “rest is best.” Everyone sees it, everyone knows it but I can’t accept it. I don’t want a pity-party, I want a victory party. I just feel like I am injured and warming the bench when I really want to get in the game and have all of the blessings of being an MVP. What can I do while I am resting…I don’t know the meaning of the word…:/