Intentional Rest

"Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." - Mark 6:34

I'm not sure how to tag this post. It could be "Education." It might fit, strangely, into "Beer." Maybe a new tag called "Religion." Or it just might fit into a more all encompassing tag on this blog called "Life" or "Being All The Things."

This verse is part of a larger text from Mark that was preached in the church I go to.  Mark 6: 30-34, 53-56

It resonated with me. The Disciples were everything to the people that came to see them. Literally life and death. They healed and cured. Life. But it was exhausting. They didn't rest. There was always someone else who needed something. Always. Even when Jesus told them to rest and took them away to do just that, people found them and had expectations. 

This happens to us. Everyone. The Jones's? The rat race?  Sound familiar?

I feel this. 

Husband, brother, dad, son, friend, dinner making, driver, shopper, advice giver, parent (different than "dad"), care taker/giver, house fixer, money earner, cleaner, solver, teacher, colleague, committee member, church council member. 

See how quickly all those titles add up? Stop. think about your own for minute. I'm sure I missed a few of my own.

So, when Pastor Jeff talked about Intentional Rest (sure, I'll capitalize those), I gained focus. It's not easy to be all the things to all the people. I'll take this a step further and agrue that teachers have more on their plates because they are responsible for little humans for a third of their day. That's a huge responsibility. One that I don't take lightly. (Also one that I don't often complain about because there are rewards).

But what do you for this intentional rest? I told the lady at CSL plasma the other day that it's nice being a teacher because I sorta get to retire every June. It's a short retirement but it's well earned and so restful. Hmm, maybe donating plasma is a forced relaxation time for a couple hours every week too...

So, Intentional Rest.

Yes please. Once school is out. We load up and camp for a week. Then we spend a week at a resort with some friends. It's two weeks of reading books in a hammock, playing in the pool, watching people fish while crusing a lake in a boat, and sharing the meal creations with people beyond just me. 

It's amazing. The minute we roll into a the camp ground that first afternoon, everything melts away. I don't need to a responsible teacher. I don't need to be the church council member. So many more. I just get to be. 

Intentional Rest. 

Do it. Take it. Rest. Don't feel guilty. Be alone. Read a book. Spend 3 hours scrolling Tik Tok. Find a hammock. Find a trail. Sleep. Binge. Have a beer. 

No matter who you are, you need a rest. You have to be intentional about it.