REST: A Summer Formula for Restoration

Every summer, I begin with a hope for rest. During the school year, my schedule fills with piano teaching and ESL tutoring. Meetings and small group gatherings pack my days. All these wonderful activities bring joy to my life, but I also look forward to summer when most of them take a break. I think: This year I’ll use the season to rest—to recharge my batteries. We’ll go to some outdoor concerts, do some hiking, and maybe even go on a picnic or two. I’ll read all the books in my 10-inch-tall to-be-read stack.  I’ll sit outside and drink a glass of iced tea while listening to the birds and crickets. 

However, even though every summer begins with the intention to rest, often that intention gets lost in the dailiness of life. I still have to scrub toilets and go to the store to buy something to put on the dinner table. I need to plan ahead for fall piano lessons and small group meetings. The garden needs weeding, and the closets need organizing. I get distracted by social media and binge on way too much television. At the end of the summer, I feel just as exhausted and overwhelmed as I did at the beginning.

To avoid this problem this summer, I came up with a plan. A formula for REST. I’m hoping that this simple four-step plan will remind me that in the middle of all the responsibilities calling my name, I also need to pay attention to my body and soul. I need to make this a summer of rest so that I can start the fall renewed and refreshed.

I’m hoping this plan will help you, too! This formula for summer rest includes: Relax, Energize, Simplify, and Tarry.

Relax

For some of you, relaxing comes easy. When you have time, you have no problem sitting down with a good book or taking a nap in a hammock. But for others of us, it seems hard. If you’re like me, you’re wired to get things done. If we try to relax, we feel a bit guilty. Our to-do lists start shouting our names. The unfinished projects mock us. It’s almost like we need permission to relax. The good news is that God gives us that permission—in fact, He commands us to rest. In the Ten Commandments, God says,

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it, you shall not do any work." - Exodus 20:8-10

God originally gave the Sabbath to the Israelites who worked as Egyptian slaves 365 days a year. A day to rest? Never! Time to relax? Unheard of! So the Sabbath became a beautiful gift to the people of God who rarely experienced rest.

God gives this same gift to us, too. As New Testament Christians, we are not required to keep the Sabbath on the seventh day of the week. We don’t have to stop all work. But God knows our bodies need a break from labor. He knows our spirits need time to retune to the song of the Creator. He knows our souls need rest. He invites us to observe His rhythm: Take six days to work, to use your God-given gifts to provide for yourself and your family. But take one day to rest. Cease from anything that feels like work. Relax in the Father’s care.

Rest Formula Step One:
Take one day each week to rest and relax. Make a list of things that restore you. Use your day of rest to read, walk in nature, or sit outside—whatever revives you.

Energize

This may seem like an odd word to include in the topic of rest, but the purpose of rest is to be refreshed and renewed. We do need to relax and physically rest, but we can also benefit from activities that energize us. Our day-to-day responsibilities, tasks, and routines can weigh us down. Doing something out of the ordinary—something we love—can invigorate us.

Think about your passions. Painting? Music? Helping others? Even if the activity involves a lot of work, if you feel energized and restored after doing it, it will help you live with soul rest. For some, pulling weeds in the garden is a tedious chore, but perhaps you can hardly wait to get out in the sunshine and dirt. You come into the house muddy and sore but happy.

REST Formula Step Two:
Make a list of activities that energize you. Make sure to do one of these at least once a week.

Simplify

Modern life is complicated and complex. Sometimes the available options become so overwhelming that everyday choices exhaust us. This summer, consider how you can simplify some of those decisions. You could try a capsule wardrobe by choosing 30 of your favorite summer clothing items to mix and match throughout the season and store or donate the rest. Now when you go into your closet, your choices are simplified.

Or you might make a summer meal plan like Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, or Fish on Friday. No more agonizing over what to cook for dinner every night! My husband and I do a charcuterie board every Wednesday. We have fun cutting up vegetables and cheese and arranging all the elements on the lovely charcuterie board he made. No cooking!

REST Formula Part Three:
How can you simplify your life this summer? How could you streamline your choices? Can you eliminate some activities that leave you drained? Can you delegate tasks or hire help so you have more time for what nurtures your spirit?

Tarry

I hate the word wait because I want what I want when I want it. But I love the word tarry—a synonym for wait—because it gives the picture of waiting on purpose, of lingering, of slowing down enough to enjoy the current moment. Let’s tarry more this summer. Slow down enough to savor corn on the sob. Sit in the shade with a good book. Be truly present when talking with friends. And may we also tarry in the Lord’s presence. One of my favorite verses tells me that waiting for the Lord is a key to rest.

"But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." - Isaiah 40:31

God will renew our strength and give us soul rest as we wait for Him. As we trust in His timing and don’t strive to orchestrate our life on our own. As we expect Him to come through instead of doubting His goodness. As we tarry in His presence and draw strength from His love, comfort, and peace.

REST Formula Part Four:
Take time each day to tarry with Jesus. Sit in stillness for five minutes. Remind yourself that God is with you, strengthening you, comforting you, and calming all your anxieties. Meditate on a favorite Bible verse or listen to a song that draws you closer to your Savior.

This summer, take time to REST. As you relax, energize, simplify, and tarry, God will renew your soul, and you will come to the end of the season refreshed and restored.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/skynesher

Sharla Fritz is a Christian author and speaker who weaves honest and humorous stories into life-changing Bible study. Author of the new book Measured by Grace: How God Defines Success, Sharla writes about God’s transforming grace and unfailing love. Sharla lives in the Chicago suburbs with her amusing pastor husband. Get her FREE ebook 21 Five-Minute Soul-Rest Practices or connect with Sharla at www.sharlafritz.com and Facebook.