Devotion for April 6, 2022, from Pastor Tim Huff of Holy Trinity:
Get Some Rest (part 1)
Yahweh replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 33:14
Sometimes, we just need to stop. Stop the parade, stop the madness. Stop the procession through duties. Stop the noise. Stop the churn. Not stop forever, but we need to stop long enough to get connected again. To heal and be restored.
Stopping isn’t easy. Duties and obligations don’t vanish. There is another Zoom call to get ready for, not to mention home duties and relationship needs. We feel we can’t stop because other people aren’t stopping at the same time.
Stopping can feel dangerous. Stop at work or school and we risk falling behind.
Stop at home, and resentments can build. Stop responding to other people’s claims, and we get tagged as uninterested, callous, arrogant, or selfish.
Stopping can feel like failure and losing.
I have found that stopping leads inescapably to moving. Stopping isn’t an escape from action. Stopping is the precursor of truly making a difference with our lives. Stop and ponder that for a while.
During one of my many web adventures I watched Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s, TEDxAtlanta Talk entitled: “The 7 types of rest that every person needs.” I share with you a portion of her presentation.
According to Dr. Dalton-Smith: Sleep and rest are not the same thing, although many of us incorrectly confuse the two.
We go through life thinking we’ve rested because we have gotten enough sleep — but in reality, we are missing out on the other types of rest we desperately need. The result is a culture of high-achieving, high-producing, chronically tired and chronically burned-out individuals. We’re suffering from a rest deficit because we don’t understand the true power of rest.
Rest should equal restoration in seven key areas of your life.
The first type of rest we need is physical rest, which can be passive or active.
Passive physical rest includes sleeping and napping, while active physical rest means restorative activities such as yoga, stretching and massage therapy that help improve the body’s circulation and flexibility.
The second type of rest is mental rest.
Do you know that coworker who starts work every day with a huge cup of coffee? He’s often irritable and forgetful, and he has a difficult time concentrating on his work. When he lies down at night to sleep, he frequently struggles to turn off his brain. … The good news is you don’t have to quit your job or go on vacation to fix this. Schedule short breaks to occur every two hours throughout your workday; these breaks can remind you to slow down. You might also keep a notepad by the bed to jot down any nagging thoughts that would keep you awake.
The third type of rest we need is sensory rest.
Bright lights, computer screens, background noise and multiple conversations — whether they’re in an office or on Zoom calls — can cause our senses to feel overwhelmed. This can be countered by doing something as simple as closing your eyes for a minute in the middle of the day, as well as by intentionally unplugging from electronics at the end of every day. Intentional moments of sensory deprivation can begin to undo the damage inflicted by the over-stimulating world.
“In peace I’ll lie down; in peace I will sleep: for you alone,
Yahweh, keep me perfectly safe.” Psalm 4:8
I encourage you to sit and ponder her first three types of rest. I will share the conclusion of her talk after you have rested awhile.
Pastor Tim