Finding Rest this December

It’s a beautiful misty morning in my neck of the woods. After an eventful day, I woke up nice and early to enjoy the early morning quiet. I love to do this so much!

Yesterday was eventful. We went to a Christmas parade in a small town close to our home, and the Police Chief was hit by a car while directing traffic. The last I heard, he was going to be just fine, and was released from the hospital last night. I’m very thankful for that.

Once the parade began, my children had a blast. My little guys had never experienced a parade before and they had so much fun chasing candy. My six-year-old was handed a light saber, which totally made his day!

I wore my trusty Highland Cow sweatshirt, which has become a staple during this holiday season. I found it at Hobby Lobby. I’m always there shopping for fabric for my Etsy shop, Joyfully Made.

While I have big plans for today (namely jogging for 80 minutes, blessing our home by giving it a good cleaning, and working on Etsy orders), I also want to be sure to savor my family, the season, and the beautiful rest December offers.

I used to have to search for rest in the tiny nooks and crannies of my life, especially when I had babies and toddlers. In my current season, I’m able to carve larger amounts of “rest” time into my day, which has been such a blessing.

And while it may seem easy to just sit down and rest when we need to, if our minds keep going, how restful is that?

It’s probably much better for us if we learn how to slow our minds too, so our full body can soak up the rest we need. What is a good way to do this?

Surrender.

Now, it isn’t always easy to surrender, especially when we have lots on our to-do list, have a wayward child, a strained marriage, or a multitude of other things that might keep our minds racing. But I firmly believe that the pieces of my life are ordered by God, and it would do me very well to remember that in order to do what’s best for my body, mind, and spirit.

Each morning, I try to surrender to the day, and accept what comes my way with an open heart and peaceful mind. Do I always succeed? No. But that’s always my goal, and when I live this out my life just feels so much better.

There are lots of ways to rest. In December, I might snuggle up on the couch with a favorite blanket while gazing at twinkle lights with a good book in my hand. Or I might wander outside, and take a slow and meditative walk in our woods. Usually this is just what I need to carry on with the day.

I’ve written two short books about rest, and you can find them on Amazon. The first is called 31 Days of Rest: Daily Thoughts for Tired Moms. This book is geared towards anyone, regardless of their religious affiliation. (Oh, and it’s not available for pre-order. It’s just plain available, ha! You can purchase and read it now. But this is the graphic I have readily available, and decided to just go with it. Giving myself grace, right?)