Purposeful Rest

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30. 

There is something to be said about rest. Rest is one of the most important things that we can do for our mind, body and spirits. It is a way we become recharged so that we may get through each and every day more loving, kind, and passionately. It is not a common secret that a person without rest does not function appropriately and may become irritated or emotional much easier. Why is it that parents are so adamant about making sure their children receive naps on time? Because they know that if their child does not receive the proper rest they will become irritable and lack control of their behaviors. 

It seems that rest for adults has become something left to be desired rather than a daily necessity or priority. Our society is constantly running on the hum of "busy, busy, busy" and it seems that people are trying to cram more things into shorter amounts of time. Just look at how popular fast food restaurants, energy drinks, and a never ending supply of coffee has become. We have told ourselves that we are supposed to be alert, awake, and constantly going going going to achieve all that we can in this world.

However, what about the things that can be achieved through rest. Not the two weeks vacation that you may indulge in finally someday...but daily, purposeful, tender, rest. 

I have been familiar with the above scripture from Matthew for quite some time but in my head the verse normally phased out after "Come to me all ye who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest..." After a long day of work I would come home tired, no exhausted and ready to relax. I would put on my comfiest pajamas, make sure I ate a delicious meal and then lay down in front of the TV and space out to some mind-numbing show. I would think alright, Father! Here I am give me rest. 

It wasn't until this past Sunday, where I spent several hours with the "Power of Your Subconscious Mind" that I truly understood the concept of rest. Today, Monday was the beginning of Day Lights Savings time, where I had to wake up an hour earlier than normal. Not only that but I ended up going to sleep later than usual as well..but this morning when my alarm clock went off I awoke refreshed. Normally I hit my snooze button a couple of times before finally rolling out of bed with a nervous pit in my stomach. 

Today I felt like I had rested. What was the difference?

"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." This is where the scripture ends, right? As I read this in it's entirety, the following directions are just as important as the first line. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me..." 

As I rested this Sunday my body was still, I was in my comfiest pajamas in my cozy bed...and yet the TV was off and I had a purpose. I wanted to spend time with my father. Nothing that I was doing was mentally strenuous or exhausting or even boring. I was simply taking the time to remind myself of the way the world works and the spiritual laws that govern our daily lives. 

Purposeful rest. The more I continued to read Murphy's writings the more calm and peaceful I became. The usual sunday afternoon anxiety that comes knocking on my door to remind me about monday did not appear. I made sure to drink in every word of the book and think about how I could apply the principles to my daily life. I also went so far as to highlight key passages and then later write reflections in my journal so that the thoughts could really sink in. 

It is not enough to come home, turn on the tv or go on facebook and expect to wake up refreshed and rested. Make sure that your rest is purposeful and that you are truly setting your mind and soul on items of peace and goodwill. When we spend time with our Father we are reminded of who we are, and where we are still able to go- which is anywhere that you may create. It is when we take the time to learn, to study, and spend quiet moments mediating on the truth that our burdens are removed and we are given what we so desperately need. 

Take a moment to breathe... to leave the fabrications of the world around us and just... rest.