Pause for thought: Taking time out from busyness to do things that refresh us

It may be cold, there may have been snow in lots of parts of Wales over the weekend, but I’m holding onto the fact that 1st March was the start of meteorological spring! The daffodils are cheering up those days which are still grey, when we go out for a walk we can see buds on trees, catkins and other signs that nature is waking up. When the sun actually appears for a short while it hints at warmer days to come.

I really struggle with January and February. The lead up to Christmas reconciles me to the dark nights and bad weather of the first part of winter, but by the new year I’ve had enough. This year though, I feel that God has been using this period to remind me about the importance of rest. I remember reading an article in my girls’ magazine in the 1970s which suggested that so many labour-saving devices would be invented in the next decade that women could have nothing to do but sit around drinking coffee with their friends during the day (this was in the days when most married women were housewives!). The opposite seems to be true – in spite of the advances in technology generally people seem to be busier than ever – work, family, church commitments and so on, coupled with the fact that communications mean that there is little time where we are not on call or interacting with something or someone. In ministry and in church life our busyness can sometimes be a badge of honour.

Winter is an important period in nature. While a plant may appear dead on the surface, underneath its roots are growing deeper. For some plants the winter period is necessary in order for them to flower in the spring. If an apple tree doesn’t have a period of rest during the winter their flowers fail to fully develop, and so the apple production is poor; if this happens year on year it is so stressful it can actually kill the tree. Nature has to rest in order to thrive, and so do we. Too much busyness and a lack of rest can cause damage to our state of mind, our physical health and relationships. Rest is not a waste of time, it is necessary in order for us to be productive. What rest looks like for each of us will be different, some people will find an afternoon’s gardening a chore, for me it is one of the most restful things I can do. Rest is about taking time out from busyness to do things that refresh us, and most importantly to take time out to spend with God. Ultimately we find true rest in him – in handing over our anxieties, and giving control over to him and trusting in him rather than our own efforts.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 2 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Kathryn Delderfield

*Picture courtesy of Erika Varga from Pixabay