I don’t know if you are like me at all. My brain is the kind that can create to-do lists in my sleep.  When I look around my house, even after cleaning all day (and chasing the kids around and doing normal life), I’m still more apt to see what I didn’t get done, than what I did.  I rarely feel like I accomplished all that should have been done. I’ll stay up all night working on house projects and give myself false promises of resting soon – once I do just one more thing.

When I run myself around like this though it leaves me feeling exhausted and depleted.  No matter what I pretend to think, checking items off my mental to-do list and having my home and my life “under control” does not provide me with  peace and rejuvenation.

It leaves me worn-out and crabby.

That’s where I was the other night. I was snapping at my family.  Grumping around like I was the only one who cared about our home and the long, impossible list of “should-dos” that I had invented in my head.  My wonderful husband graciously listened to me and sought to understand why I was so frustrated.  He even took over with the kids so I could have a break and take a nap.

Once both kids were in bed for the night my husband was getting ready to work on his grad school homework.   I began pacing around the kitchen  and debating whether to go finish folding the laundry or clean up from our pizza night.  He looked at me and smiled and said, “There are some markers upstairs that miss you.”

“I know,” I sighed, “but there’s just so much to do.”

“Heidi, it’s Saturday night.  Drawing is exactly the kind of thing you should do on a Saturday night.” He encouraged me to leave the house stuff for another time and just do something fun. I’m so thankful he did. God really blessed me through his encouragement to put on the breaks and just relax.

I spent the evening drawing with my brush calligraphy pens and watching The Crown on Netflix.  It was exactly what my heart and mind needed.  When I went to bed, I felt relaxed and able to sleep.  My mind and my emotions really benefited from the break, but my soul benefitted the most.

Taking a break reminded me of how small I really am.  I’m just one little person, living my life.  Yes, I take care of my family and I have responsibilities – but I am not the one holding the world together. If I stop, everything else doesn’t stop.  It keeps going because God keeps going.  I am one small piece of his creation, dependent on him for all of my needs.  He is huge! He made all of this and he sustains it.  He even knows each of our hearts personally and knows what we truly need.  That is amazing!

“And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Colossians 1:17).

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10).

Everyone was still able to use the kitchen in the morning despite the dirty dishes and we still had plenty of other clean clothes to wear.  I even got to clean up the kitchen after church and that basket of laundry will get folded eventually :-).

Those tasks didn’t get done Saturday night, but something much more important did.  Stopping to rest refueled my emotions and physical strength so that I could enjoy the next day and be kind to my family. It also helped me regain necessary perspective.

That night, God didn’t need me to clean one more bathroom or fold one more basket of laundry.  My heart and mind were overwhelmed by my to-do list.  I had moved away from trusting God and was trusting myself to meet all of my needs and all of my family’s needs.  That night, God needed me to remember how big he is and how small I am.

Through stopping to rest he reminded me that he is God and I am not.

He reminded me that ultimately he meets all of my needs and the needs of my family.

He reminded me that my strength comes from him and that the gift of rest comes from him too.

There is a time and a place for getting things done, but I often forget that there is a time and place for rest too.  In fact, it is a beautiful, helpful, and necessary thing.

If you needed to be reminded of that too, I hope that you find a way to rest and feel small today.  It could be a long break to spend a few hours out of the house or even just five minutes to sit down and drink a glass of water.

The world will keep moving while you rest and God will keep sustaining it. He will keep sustaining you too!