can I rest yet?

we long for rest, yet actually resting takes a conscious decision to cease working.  and this is where we seem to have trouble.  until illness strikes.  until the job is finished.  until something interrupts us and forces us to stop.  we go around complaining that we are tired, bored, and never have enough hours in the day.  are we victims to our lives?  do we have no control over the busy lifestyles we maintain?  are we driven by others? bosses? friends? work? who is driving all the busyness?  Why is rest so hard for us to allow ourselves? 

Today I was talking to someone telling me that her weekend was busy.  She was tired.  I thought, wow, it sounds like she needs another weekend to recover from her weekend.  And I know you have heard this before "my vacation was full! I need another vacation to recover from my vacation!"  We don't seem to know how to rest.  Is rest a lost art?  What are we waiting for?  (permission to rest?! from whom?)

What are we afraid of? We finally have time to "rest" and we fill it with more stuff.  More activities.  Are we afraid of the quiet? Afraid of the stillness?  Afraid of being alone with ourselves?

And yet we are tried.  Driven by fear of deadlines, places to go, things to do, and we don't want others to think we are lazy.  

driven

weary

chaos

busy

noise

restless

bored

...burned out

"Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest."

Hungry

tired

thirsty

weary

I want rest!

I am coming.

Dropping the work.

Stepping out of the "ought to's"

Ignoring the fear

I come

Embraced by love

Held

Comforted

I breathe

You are here

I am here

Embraced

Relief

My soul finds rest in God alone

Restored

Rested

Ready to go

Knowing who I am

There is a flow of 

creative energy

defined by rest and love

May I live in your rest

Letting the rivers of love

flow into me

And through me

I will mount up with wings like eagles

I will run and not grow weary

I will walk and not grow faint

My rest is found in you, O God

And my work flows from this rest