REST

That’s one word we hear and use a lot, but when was the last time we actually rested?

WHAT  IS ‘REST’?

Are you sure you know?  I don’t think many of us know what it is anymore. We have illusions about it, but have we really thought about what it is?

• 1.       It’s not binge-watching all the Series/Soaps you missed during the week.
• 2.       It’s not hanging out with friends.
• 3.       It’s not cooking a lot of food (or ordering a lot of food) to eat.
• 4.       It’s not going from one religious activity or the other.
• 5.       It’s not trying to catch up on more work.
• 6.       It’s DEFINITELY NOT being glued to your smart phone every second to register your presence with  all the social network sites (like you need to pay homage or ‘they’ will abandon you).

I checked the Thesaurus, it defines Rest as the following:

• ·         The refreshing quiet or repose of sleep.
  
• ·         Refreshing ease or inactivity after exertion of labour
  
• ·         Relief or freedom, especially after anything that wearies, troubles or disturbs.
• ·         A period or interval of inactivity, repose, solitude or tranquility.
  
• ·         Mental or spiritual calm.

The Cambridge dictionary defines it as;

• ·         To cause someone or something to stop doing a particular activity or stop being active for a period of time in order to relax and get back your strength.

See that? The common factor of both definitions and explanations are these words “Inactivity”, “repose”, “stop being active”, “to refresh”.

So I ask again, do we know what REST means? When last did we truly rest? You think resting is for sissies? Think again. 

Resting is very important. I mean, even if you’re working so hard because you have this ultimate game plan to be a millionaire before you’re 30, bravo! But unless you want your ‘family members’ ,  a few enemies and  previously unknown sympathisers to enjoy the eventual fruit of your labour (since your body has given out and you’re now resting in The Lord, that is), you need to learn to chill right now. Your body needs it, your mind needs it, your health demands it.

I know the usual arguments:

• 1.       “It’s not my fault, I always have so much to do”
• 2.       “Do you think I don’t want to rest? but people around me keep disturbing me for one thing or the other”
• 3.       “I work so much during the week, so I have only the weekend to take care of all the other things I neglected”
• 4.       “I want to rest, I just don’t have time”

Let me ask you this question; If your doctor told you your heart will literally stop beating unless you take a day off,  I bet no matter what you have to do, who you absolutely need to see, where you totally must go, that event that must not be missed, your uber-busy schedule will magically clear up, won’t it? You will find time to rest for a day (or 2, or 3).  

So why wait till your mental, physical or spiritual health is threatened?

Please My Darlings, learn to rest. Let this weekend be the beginning of a new era for you. The present needs you, the future is waiting for you and you didn’t go through all that in the past, just to keel over prematurely.

Here is what rest looks like (for those who have forgotten).

Rest, I say, REST!!

Have a blissful weekend.