Tracy Thatcher February 21, 2011

How long have you been coming to H2O? 9.5 years

What do you like to do for fun? Read a book, spend time with my husband and catch up on Facebook.

What's an interesting fact about you? I grew up

spending every summer (until I was 22 years old) at an all boys' Christian camp that my Dad was the Director of.

One thing that I have discovered lately is that I need to learn how to rest. It seems silly to me that something so "simple" is so hard for me to do. And yet I find myself going, going, going, until I have nothing left. While this is happening, I don't enjoy my husband, I don't enjoy my children and I don't enjoy my life. I'm only doing the seemingly thousand things that are requested of me and not truly living. I find myself becoming jealous of people who I hear saying they are relaxing or enjoying their children or just enjoying life. I think, "Why isn't that me? Why do I have so much to do? And why aren't they doing anything?".

This is an area that I need the Lord's help in. I know I can't do this on my own, because I've been trying for too many years and failed. I need Him to show me how to rest in Him and not feel anxious about all I think that needs to get done. Here are some verses that spoke to me.

Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name.

Hebrews 4:3a, 10 & 11 For only we who believe can enter His place of rest. For all who enter into God's rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after creating the world. Let us do our best to enter that place of rest. For anyone who disobeys God, as the people of Israel did, will fall. (emphasis mine)

I realized that God is the one who gives me strength and He ALLOWS me to rest. I need to rest and I need to make it a priority. I need time with God, I need time to myself, I need time with my husband and I need time with each of my boys. But when I look at all that "time", I think there isn't enough time to get it all done. And then I think, that's the point. There isn't enough time to get it all done, and I'm not expected to. I need to focus on the relationships that are most important to me, and take the time to be rested just for myself, so I can enjoy life and those relationships God has placed in my life. God also says in Matthew, that He will teach me how to rest. As it says in the Hebrews verses, I need to enter into God's rest, because that is where I will find rest from my work. This isn't the world's way of resting, which might be better labeled as escapism, but God's way. Unfortunately, that is as far as I've gotten. I am unsure as to what God's rest really is, but I know I need to make it a priority.

But I do know, that resting also means not worrying about all that needs to get done. Focusing on the one day I am living in and trusting the Lord to provide the strength and REST that I need.

Prayer Requests:

- I would make resting a priority and God would reveal to me what His rest looks like. This is a major struggle for me as my line of thinking is that I will rest after all my work is done. Unfortunately, all my work is never done and if I lived that way, I would never rest.

- Neil and I would get to have more frequent dates, as these times definitely help us rest together, reconnect and to have fun together again.

- I would feel rested enough to learn how to enjoy my boys again.