As we were heading for ice-skating yesterday, my son remarked that I was different this week.  He commented on how I seemed more patient and wasn’t speaking as loudly as I had before. He said that I was happier and not mad at everything.  I was humbled by his observations and a little disturbed by the fact that that was how I was presenting myself to my children. For the most part, I view myself as a happy-go-lucky personality with a fair amount of patience.  What a rude awakening his comments were.  I think the change is due to having a time of relaxation and renewal of the mind, body, and spirit.  As I thought about his words, I realized that my husband seemed more calm and less stressed about things also.  It dawned on me that we were doing our children a great disservice by not taking regular time to rejuvenate ourselves.  We get so absorbed in schooling, work and responsibilities that we have forgotten to give it a rest.  In Genesis 2:2-3, God rested from His work.  What makes us think that we can keep on doing so much without resting?  God made it perfectly clear that we are to rest on the seventh day. (Exodus 20:9-11; 31:13-17; 34:21; 35:2, Leviticus 23:3)  Our ‘free-times’ are filled with catching up on things left undone.  How often do we actually sit and do nothing?  I don’t know about you but the nothing times are so rare that I wouldn’t recognize them. The 24-7 factor has to be removed.  We need to re-energize ourselves by taking some do nothing days.  I seriously don’t think that the world will stop revolving if we enter into rest once a week.  Do we ever really ‘catch-up’ on things left undone during the week?  If we don’t make time to rest, as my son so kindly made me aware, we become people we aren’t even aware that we have become. 

Psalm 62:1-2 (NIV)

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.  He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.