Finding Rest

The connection that humans have with nature is unparalleled. I recently

found myself on a camping trip to kick off the year that was truthfully last

minute and not something I planned myself. But as I got out into the

wilderness of Florida and life slowed down, I started to feel something I had

been seeking but not attaining: Rest.

True rest is something that is rarely found today. In fact, we are taught the

antithesis of rest in our daily lives. We are taught to deflect and distract. Go

through your apps, post a picture and watch the likes roll in, “watch” your

favorite show with your phone in your hand. These are some examples of

how you rest in culture currently. These things and many other examples do

not produce what we are seeking and actually can stress us out more. They

actually cause our brains to still be in a constantly stimulated state and do

not allow us to get the proper rest we need.

When we get stressed, we need rest, when we do not get rest, we get stressed and the cycle continues...

Don’t get me wrong, there are many ways for each individual to achieve true

rest. We are all made uniquely in our creator’s image and that is a beautiful

thing. One way that I personally achieve rest is to get outside and see His

hand in creation. The trip I took started out as a normal camping trip, but I

quickly found my pace of life slowing down. Nothing had to be planned, we

did whatever came to our minds. We had everything we needed and

nowhere to be but present. This allowed our minds to truly decompress to

where we did not even have to think, all we had to do was experience His

great creation.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus tells us “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy

laden, and I will give you rest.” He is a good, loving, gracious Father and He

wants us to be lead peaceful lives. This verse is probably the most famous

about rest, and what I love about it is that Jesus gives us clear directions on

how to get rest. Come to Him. It shows His want and longing for our hearts.

His arms are always open wide waiting for us to just come to Him no matter

where we are in our lives. And I can’t think of a better setting to come to Him

than out in His creation.

Distraction is a big cause of how we end up feeling so restless today. Not

facing our issues and instead distracting doesn’t allow us to feel the full

spectrum of feelings that we are meant to. When we can allow ourselves to

feel fully, to deal with our feelings and emotions in a healthy way and

understand them, then we can begin to know ourselves better and,

ultimately, rest.