It’s my favorite time of the day. Kids have left for school, I’m dressed and the coffee is ready. The dog has been out and the husband is still quietly snoring. Work doesn’t begin for another thirty minutes and I’m all alone! I open my Bible to the lesson for today and begin to pray and read and pray some more. I can think, I can concentrate, I can listen for that small, still voice to speak to me.
Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Then, the clock strikes. The emails start dinging, the conference calls begin and my day is off and running. Duty calls and I become a sales person, a mother, a wife. Then my husband starts his day and MSNBC’s analysts are our familiar friends. It’s busy, busy straight through until the school bus rounds the corner and the dog barks raucously to welcome the kids home. The four hours after dinner are filled with homework, practices, church and rehearsals. We’re lucky to have an hour of family time together at the end of a grueling day.
This is our life. This is the life of most American families today. But something is missing. We have no time for ourselves. We have no time to sit and chat, to sit and dream, to sit and think, to sit and pray!
“I think that I cannot preserve my health and spirits, unless I spend four hours a day at least - and it is commonly more than that - sauntering through the woods and over the hills and fields, absolutely free from all worldly engagements.” ~Henry David Thoreau
I have begun to realize that I need more dedicated time in my life for thinking, dreaming and prayer. My family needs downtime to recharge and to enjoy the peace and comfort of regular rest and serenity. We all need a chance to contemplate God’s goodness and to consider our hopes and dreams.
When I think of peace and rest, I think back to my love of the ocean and the mountains. I have spent many hours of my life just sitting and watching the surf rise and fall on the sand. It’s so calming, so peaceful. It’s similar to looking out over the
My hope is to be more intentional in creating moments of peace and rest for me and for my family in the coming year. God rested on the seventh day and He commanded us to honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy. I can start by making Sunday a day of peace and rest and by creating times of peace and rest during the week for my family. The more time we can spend resting in the presence of God, the more rich and fulfilling our lives will be.
“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength.” Isaiah 30:15
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