Day 4 - Rest up!

Day 4 of Christmas!  Wow, Christmas will soon be here, and my first thought is 'how am I going to get everything done in time?', and I suspect many of you are in the same place. It isn't as if the season of giving just snuck up on me. I'm pretty sure Christmas was scheduled at the same time last year...not like Thanksgiving that can flutter about.

Its days like today when I have to choose to slow myself down and reset priorities. One of my 'happy places' today, is thinking about the tall pasture grass as a kid, and how we would wade through this field with our hoodies zipped up trying to avoid ticks and bugs in our hair, and pretend to make trails or paths to find each other. Not a corn field, only a hay field, so we could actually stand up and see each other just fine.  The pasture was perfect for kids to play in, before the hay bailing started.  I picture my sisters and I running around after nothing, but just having fun playing in the sunshine.

Another peaceful place in my mind, is in the mountains.  We make an annual trip to Colorado, and one house we rented in particular had a pond off the back porch.  I'm an early riser, so I would sit out on the porch with my coffee and just admire how still the water rested.  It was so still, the amazing mountain peak was simply mirrored off the glass surface.  A dragonfly might whiz by and break the surface of glass, snapping me back to reality.  There is always a chill in the air, but the sun shines beautiful, offering just enough warmth which doesn't offset the coffee.  Later the ducks would come on by too, but thats because they wanted more Cheetos from our dinner plates.

These are my happy places today, and I cling to them as I crave the speed of 'slow'.  I've learned I am my own worst enemy when it comes to slowing down and resting.  I love, love, love being busy and interacting with people, but also respect that I must slow down and rest. If you cant do this for yourself, your body will do it for you.

On the 4th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, the joy of REST!  "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside still waters" (Ps 23:2)  I celebrate rest and the beauty of slowing down amid the busy season.  ...and it's ok to do so.