A Day (or Two) of Rest

I thought it was yesterday that we arrived in the US but apparently it’s been a few months (like 5 months).  The months leading up to our departure were hectic with packing, preparing our apartment for subletters, trying to get projects done, etc.  Since arriving we’ve been going from place to place meeting with people (there’s a lot of eating involved in that), preparing for talks and conferences, getting back to being active in our sending church – all while maintaining a regular workload of projects happening in Europe and trying to recruit more IT geeks to join us in eDOT.  I blinked and it’s gone.  I also realized that I’m exhausted and had not taken hardly any of my vacation time for the year.

So Krista made arrangements for us to get away for a three-day weekend.  Thanks to some friends who have a cabin in the NC mountains and some grandparents who wanted some good “Alex” time, we were able to spend time cuddled up with our books and did a little hiking while admiring the changing of the leaves.  It was just spectacular to see.  Reminds me of a Ziggy cartoon where he’s watching a sunset and yells, “Go God, go!!”

Rest can make such a difference.  I feel so much better and my mind is in better shape.  Its really amazing what some time just resting can do.  Maybe that’s why God tells us to set aside a day a week for “rest” (some call it Sabbath).  In our hectic pace of life (which I’m sure most of you can understand) we have to intentionally figure out where our day of rest will be (Sundays don’t always work because many times that’s the best day to meet with people or we’re speaking somewhere).  I talked just the other day with a new missionary and I asked her, “When is your day of rest?  If you don’t have one, be intentionally about planning one into your schedule.”  I figure if God, creator of the universe, took a day of rest – then maybe little ole me should do the same.

So, in your pace of life – have you figured out your day of rest?  What does it look like to you?