I woke up this morning to my alarm fervently reminding me that I had stuff to do. I dragged myself out of bed. My alarm was set so that I would have the exact number of minutes it would take me to get dressed and get out the door. I slipped into my clothes, washed my face, brushed my teeth, grabbed my purse, and my breakfast and headed out the door. The way to school was filled with drinking my breakfast smoothie, brushing my hair and yes... putting on my make-up, all while it was still dark outside. I pull up to the lit up parking lot by 6:45 and at 6:50 two students walk in for tutoring. I put on my smile face.
"Hi, good morning, how are you?" I can only imagine that if I haven't adjusted in 26 years to waking up early, I am pretty sure they haven't either.
Their responses, "tired!" It was the expected response. The one I hear at least ten times a day and probably much more, coming from kids, teens, adults... and if I were honest enough and could down right come out with it, I am tired too!
I can't help but think we are not supposed to feel this tired! When I think on it, God tells us two things we can do to help us gain energy. The first thing we can do is pray. Jesus would wake up early in the morning to pray. Prayer puts us in God's presence and his presence is full of life, peace and restoration. If we are mentally tired, prayer can give us clarity into situations. If it's emotional fatigue, we finally gain rest by letting God take control. If it is a heavy burden, spiritual fatigue, we gain strength with the renewed perspective that God is on our side. And our physical fatique can be alleviated through prayer by the rest that comes from simply being in his presence. He is a good God and only good things come from taking time to meet with Him.
The second thing to do it literally rest. I have loved music my whole life and learned what the "rest" symbol looked like on sheet music as a young girl. The rest is a slight pause, the director can make it exaggerated or simple but the music pauses and then continues as normal. A couple of years ago I read about a little girl learning to play the piano. She could not understand why she needed to rest when she saw the symbol on her sheet music. Her instructor stated simply, "because the rest makes the rest of the music even more beautiful."
I think on this story often and though I sometimes fight rest with all that I am, I want the music of my life to be beautiful. I want to pour out good things to those around me, I want it to be sweet to the people I love and encounter. And most of all I want to live my life fully because the Lord has given me, has given all of us, breath each day for a purpose. I want to have rested enough to bring Him glory and live my purpose each day.
So when I think I am above rest, when I think that what I have to do is my number one priority or will help me feel better getting it off my check list. I remember that sometimes the most energy doesn't come from marking off the check list or keeping myself busy all day but it comes from staying in prayer with God through out the day and from rest.
