Cheap Rest

With the school year back in full swing, time to decompress, be still and rest seems so precious lately.  As a home schooling mom, those moments are few and far between, and the year has just started.  My husband and I do our best to carve out down time, but it is something we have to consciously seek after.

If we aren’t intentional about it, we fall into, what we call, “cheap rest.”  It is choosing those activities at the end of a long day that tend to be mind numbing or easily accessible.  In the long run, though, they don’t leave us feeling rested.  It feels more like we just got through the day.  It is like a fast food meal.  Not nourished, just sustained.

Real rest activities are those things that nourish our souls, comfort our hearts, add to healthy living or enrich our marriage.  Fun and adding to long term health of our individual lives, our marriage and our family.  If we are honest, most of us get the kids down and flip on the TV or jump on our favorite social media site.  Now I am not anti-technology, but I do think there are better options.  Some that we love are reading a great book aloud to each other, swimming after the kids are down, playing a game or just sitting on our patio swing dreaming of what’s next for our family.  Little things we enjoy that take a little more effort but are so much more worth it in the long run.

What about you?  What are your favorite things that encourage your heart and make you feel ready to face the challenges of tomorrow?