Rest
Winter resting is nature’s way of telling us that a season of stillness is essential to our wellbeing. Everything slows down, becomes quiet and just exists for a while. It is a break from all the work of growing, reproducing, competing, gathering and doing. It is a gift.
I am not someone who finds rest easily. The constant demands of the world we have created for ourselves leave me feeling that I am never enough. I feel stressed about how I spend my time and resources and find myself engaging in activities that numb me rather than leave me feeling rested. I have discovered that deep rest only comes when we are feeling physically and psychologically safe. It is a shift from feeling hopeless and afraid to being expectant and trusting.
Creatures that hibernate can do so because they have gathered all the resources they need and have found a place of comfort. It is their instinct to prepare for rest. In the Bible, the work of Creation was followed by a command to rest, and the Sabbath was born. The Jewish people would make preparations for rest by putting things in order the day before. They could then spend the Sabbath in worship and reflection without the worries of the world. I want to pursue a rhythm of work, preparation and rest in my life, because beauty and rest walk together.
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