A Week of Rest

"And He said to them, 'The Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.'" - Luke 6:5

Whenever we talk about the Sabbath, we are talking about a day of rest. Even the Lord rested on the seventh day after Creation. I've been reminded again recently how important it is for us to rest and to have Sabbath days. This past week was Semana Santa, or Holy Week. Here in Honduras, that means that most of the country shuts down for a part, if not for the entire week. We were off from school the entire week. I used this past week as a time of rest. I knew I needed it. In our busy lives, we often forget to take time to just rest and recouperate. We think we have to keep going because otherwise we will fall behind, or we will be less productive. I've realized that in order for me to be the most productive, I need rest. That means getting to bed early enough to get a good night sleep. It means taking one day off each week to relax, whether that day is Saturday or Sunday. For me, it is often Saturday because my Sundays are usually not the least bit restful. Resting also means allowing yourself to take a vacation when you need it. Even if it means going to a park, taking a walk through the forest, or sitting somewhere quiet, we need to rest. Having just completed an entire week of rest, I know that I can hit the ground running tomorrow (not literally, I don't run). I am ready to face new challenges that come my way, because I now have the energy to face them. And I can keep running as long as I stop along the way to give myself downtime when needed. Speaking of which, I need to go to bed. :)