Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. -Ovid
Rest. What does it look like? How do we do it? Is it necessary?
Those are questions I have been wrestling with as I have set forth on this journey to live with less and share my thoughts on the big old internet. And deep down in my bones I know rest is good and essential and necessary. God even rested. And so should we.
As my Jen Hatmaker experiment winds down, I have been looking ahead into the month of July. We have lots of family time on the calendar this month and I want to be totally, utterly present with my people. Enter rest. I am going to be taking the month of July off from posting on the blog. For a number of reasons, but two I want to share with you.
First, I am still going to write because I enjoy it so much, but I’m not going to hit the ‘publish’ button. Instead, I am going to write about what I enjoy, what I am passionate about, and really whatever I feel like in Word and not on my blog site. I am going to open myself up and not work within constraints I have put on myself. I am going to be free as a bird writing about whatever catches my attention or tugs at my heart. And I think sometimes when we rest from the normal everyday, something new and unexpected and beautiful can emerge.
Second (and most important), I want to be with my people. We are going to be traveling a bit together and visiting new and interesting places and I want to be fully with them. Taking a break from writing and posting will help me with that endeavor.
I will still be sharing some quotes and articles I front loaded onto A Simpler Motherhood Facebook page throughout the month of July. This is already done and in place, so I can sit back and enjoy time with my family and some free, creative writing time.
What does rest look like for you? This summer season is an opportune time to rest, at least for some of us. Where can you fit it in? How can you make it work? My prayer for this month of July is rest will allow me to come back renewed and excited to create more meaningful work.
There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither. -Alan Cohen