“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” Genesis 2:2 ESV

I’ve been thinking a lot about rest lately. Maybe it’s because work is busy all day and I leave with very little fuel left in my tank (and that’s even with my lunchtime coffee). Maybe it’s because I’m not actually sleeping well at night, even though I think I am.

Or maybe it’s because I bought a house two months ago and spent every spare moment unpacking and organizing, trying to create a sense of home.

Yup, that could have something to do with it.

I’ve tried to be better at taking intentional periods of rest. I even went to the beach the day after I moved in, knowing that my students would arrive at work two days later, and I wanted. . .no, needed. . . one more day at my happy place.

After that, it was hard to designate times of rest when surrounded by boxes and piles of dishes with no place to put them. I could go for a few days without getting frustrated by the chaotic clutter, but then my need to clean up overrode my need to rest. I will say that I’m proud of myself for hosting a group from church with holes still in the ceiling from where lights were removed, and even more so for living with this in my bathroom for two weeks:

(Because when you need to shower on your first night in a new house and there are no blinds, you make it work. And I realized that once I reached 40, I really didn’t care about a lot of things. . . and it’s been quite freeing!)

And I’m tired. I’m even admitting that I’ve recently fallen asleep in church – multiple times.

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I’m trying some new things that aren’t new ideas in themselves but are new to me as intentional actions to try and prioritize rest. 

Reclaiming the Sabbath

I’ve been leaving too many to-do tasks for Sunday afternoons. I love Post-Its, but they’re been on every flat surface, at home and at work, taunting me with their bright colors and lists.

But the Post-Its no longer govern my Sundays. Because I’m reclaiming the Sabbath. I’m intentionally keeping in mind that God created a day of rest from work, not just from going to work (Deuteronomy 5:12-14 ESV). After all, the Sabbath is for our good (Mark 2:27 ESV), and God wants us to rest in Him (Hebrews 4:3-4 ESV).

So I don’t have Sunday to-do lists, but I leave time to rest in different ways: seeing family and friends, reading, being outside, or napping (because we know there’s nothing quite like a Sunday afternoon nap).

Setting A No-More-Devices Alarm

I found I was staying up because I got stuck scrolling on my phone or buying things for the house (Thank you Amazon and Home Depot for your free shipping. I really appreciate it.) I tried setting an alarm for 8:45 PM. After that, no phone or computer for me. And it’s worked for a week so far. It also wakes me up when I’ve fallen asleep on the couch so I can go fall asleep in bed.

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And as for what rest looks like for me. . . well, I’m still trying to figure that out.

So join me in my quest for rest, won’t you? Comment if you have any ideas that work for you!

What does rest look like for you? What are some ways you can prioritize rest?

“And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.” Genesis 2:2 ESV