It was one of those weeks.
I had a lot on my plate and a lot on my mind.
My morning quiet time was rushed and because their was so much on my heart and mind I couldn’t concentrate on why I was there in my little prayer closet in the first place.
When I move from a place of deeply knowing, doubt and worry creep in and my body responds immediately. Getting rest is a challenge. My mind is hyper active and leans heavily toward worst case scenarios and plays them out for me often adding to my stress.
After a few days of pseudo sleep and absolutely no rest, I knew what I had to do. To get what I needed could only be achieved by sitting still in His presence, reconnecting with His word, His truth for my life and finding my breath. When you’re stressed you move from deep breathing to shallow breaths. I needed to breathe. I needed to reconnect and refocus and for me that happens through prayer and silence.
So before going to bed, I quieted myself in His presence and poured out my hear, I reconnected with what He said and I breathed.
I woke up the next morning rested.
Keri Wyatt Kent — I read one of her books years ago and thought she was nuts. She suggested we all celebrate the traditional Sabbath. If I remember correctly she had small children at the time, had a busy house and every Friday night at sundown she would begin the process of disconnecting from and plugging into. She talked a lot about rest and how this purposeful focus on the things that mattered offered her rest.
I don’t think she’s crazy anymore.
In the words of my British friends, I think she’s “spot on.”
[tweet_box]There’s sleep and then there’s rest and nothing compares to waking up rested.[/tweet_box]I still haven’t celebrated a traditional Sabbath where I unplug from sundown to sundown. Well not voluntarily…there was Hurricane Ike so I’m not sure that counts.
I do know that time in my prayer closet that’s focused and intentional (not just going through the motions) is a kind of mini-Sabbath of sorts.
It sets me up for rest.
#ThisWomanKnows if you’re going to be a woman who knows, if you’re going to successfully “put it out there” the need for rest is real.
Whether you follow a traditional Sabbath or take daily mini Sabbaths, do take the time to rest mind and body.
Shabbat Shalom
Lisa N. Alexander is the author and founder of This Woman Knows and What Million-Dollar Brands Know. She is an award-winning filmmaker, director, producer, and writer and is the owner of PrettyWork Creative.
