An Attitude of Gratitude: Rest

In the past, I have been guilty of burning the candle at both ends.  Downtime just did not sit well with me.  My days were jam-packed.  I moved from one activity to the next.  I worked and worked and worked.  I wore myself into the ground and was proud of it.  If a man does not work, he does not eat.  You have seen me.  I make sure I can eat.  I kept my mind and my hands busy.

While running this way and that way, I ran into a brick wall on the day that Tomica died.  When I got the call that her health had taken a serious turn for the worst, I was sitting in my car about to go to work.  I felt helpless.  I remember saying out loud to myself, “I don’t know what to do.”  I was so used to running that I thought I would just drive to work.  I could bury myself in busyness.  I could ignore the very real pain I was feeling.

Thankfully, Bible Study Mama called me and told me to not move.  She was on her way.  And that began a period of rest…and grieving…for me.  The church girl in me wanted to get back on the horse.  To show the world that God was still good.  Shoot, forget the world.  I wanted to pump myself up and remind myself that He was still good even though it did not feel like it.  But God pumped the brakes on that one.  He told me to rest.

Now I will admit that I took the rest thing too far.  I allowed myself to become complacent.  At times, I let depression drive my life.  But the principle of rest still remains a good one.  I had reached a point where I had nothing to pour out.  I was empty.  God used my rest period to refill me, to restore me, to reset me.  And for that I am grateful.  #wepreach