When I was a girl, I learned to get the work done first, and rest later.
That philosophy served me well for many years. I rarely handed in any assignment late. I never fell into the disgusting student apartment trap where the sink overflows with dirty dishes.
But when I started out as a young minister, this philosophy stopped working for me. I quickly discovered that the work was never done. There was always someone else to visit, another sermon to write, a phone call to return, a book to read. And at home, I never felt on top of the chores. The garden needed weeding. The kitchen floor needed washing. There were dishes and laundry to be done. If I waited until the work was done before I allowed myself to rest and play, then I would never rest or play.
Honestly, for years, I didn’t allow myself much time to rest or play. I couldn’t see it at the time, but this wasn’t good for my soul. I became frazzled and driven, irritable and exhausted. I was not living my best life. I was not being fully the person God was inviting me to be.
So, I am trying to live differently these days. I’m actively seeking out rest and play to restore my soul. When I rest well and play often, I do my work from a gentler, more loving, more soulful, more creative place. When I rest well and play often, my relationships are healthier – my relationship with God, with my spouse, with my friends and family, with myself.
Our faith tradition has lots of reminders about the importance of rest. In the second chapter of Genesis after God creates the heavens and the earth, God blesses the seventh day as a day of rest on which even God takes a break. Jesus would go off on his own to pray even though the crowds kept trying to find him. Jesus fell asleep in the boat while the disciples are making a treacherous crossing in a boat on the Sea of Galilee. The ever-popular Psalm 23 starts with this invitation: “God is my shepherd. I have everything I need. God makes me to lie down in green pastures. God leads me beside still waters. God restores my soul.”
So, this summer, make time to restore your soul. How can you make space for rest and play, even if all the work isn’t done?
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Beth Kerr serves as pastor at Atwood United Church and Trinity United Church in Listowel.
