Sit and Be Still – A Guest Post by Tammy Helfrich
Today, I’m so honored to host Tammy’s post about rest. In fact, today, I need to heed the wisdom in Tammy’s post about rest. Anyone else feeling a little haggard these days?
Life is busy.
We have demanding careers. Kids to tend to, houses to clean, bills to pay, exercise, organizational projects, and a never ending to do list. That’s not even including chasing a dream, or writing, or anything else that matters to you. Add in social media, blogs, email, friends and family to visit, and I can think of one word: overwhelmed.
Tammy's Backyard
I have been there. Lately, I find myself at that place more than I care to admit.
How do we make it stop?
Rest
Who has time for that?
Why is this not a priority?
My Pastor says something that I love:
Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective
For some, this means taking a vacation, or a long weekend away. For me, I have also learned to grab these moments when I can and to schedule them when possible. What does it look like for me?
1. Quiet time in nature – I love to be outside. God’s creation calms me. It soothes my soul. I take time and walk in the forest, or along a river. I get quiet and away from noise.
2. Sit and be still – I love to sit in my backyard. I often write there. For you, it might be inside, or even in your car. Wherever you can sit by yourself for a few minutes. It doesn’t take much time.
3. Talk to God – Getting quiet and spending time with Him is so important. Sometimes I just need to stop talking and listen. We are not used to this. We are constantly talking or listening or used to having noise in the background. This is hard for me if I don’t make this a priority.
4. Intentional time – When I am with my kids, I try to be present. I turn off my phone and distractions and be present with them. While this is hard, I do notice a huge difference when I do it.
For those of us chasing a dream, we may feel like rest is something we can’t possibly fit in. However, I challenge you to squeeze some rest into what you’re doing. Again, it doesn’t have to be an extremely long amount of time. But you need it. You’ll be amazed how God will restore you and give you more energy to tackle what you are doing.
How do you find rest?
Tammy is a wife, Mom, daughter and friend. She blogs about life, marriage, encouragement, and LifeChanger, motivating stories. She loves connecting with people, and rallying them around a good cause. She is learning to live healthier and to live a better story. She’s committed to helping others realize that their voice matters, and to embrace their story. You can follow her on Twitter or on her blog at www.tammyhelfrich.com