INSPIRASUNS

It’s an abbreviation for “rest and recuperation”. I’m not sure if the military first coined the abbreviation or not, that I guess, is for another blog 🙂 . I know that we civilians have used it for as long as I can remember.

I think back in the day, and probably still today, the military made it mandatory for service people to take it. They needed a break from battle, from dangerous missions, and from the effects of constant stress. The mind and the body need time to decompress and release the tension that it instinctively reverts to, to keep itself safe. The body is an amazing machine, you know. God created us knowing everything we would go through. Oy, sorry for the digression, back on track here…

Yesterday afternoon, our little community had its monthly happy hour. I had made the grocery store run earlier in the day and picked up the ingredients to make a nosh to share. As the day wore on, I started to feel like I didn’t want to go. I really wrestled with putting the dish together, packing drinks, and schlepping up to our little clubhouse. Did I really want to do all that? Finally, I stopped into my husband’s office, he was working on a project, and said something like, “I’m going to start prepping for the happy hour”, kind of hoping he would say he wasn’t up for going either. Instead, he agreed it was time to get ready.

Alright then, off I went and started putting together the dish we would take. Thank goodness it was simple prep. He put together our drinks, we both changed, and before I knew it, we were off. We pulled into a parking space, and our neighbors pulled in right behind us. We hadn’t seen them in forever. We said our howdies and wandered into the club together.

The rest, so they say, is history. Everyone was greeting everyone with smiles and “How are you’s”. The evening was beautiful, the conversation was lively, the food was amazing, and we had an absolutely wonderful time. When we returned home, I thought about my earlier feelings of well, just being lazy. We would have missed out on catching up with friends and letting our minds and bodies release from the work week.

Over the last few days, I’ve been thinking about hitting the water after church. This morning, I had some of those naggings like yesterday, do I really want to take the time to schlep everything out there? Then, I reminded myself of the way I felt last night. Yep, it’s worth it. My mind and body will appreciate the decision 🙂 .

I know I’m rambling a bit here; however, there is a point to it. We are human; our minds and bodies need time not to just rest and recuperate but to rest and be restored. Those times of R & R are perfect moments to rest with our Lord. I can’t think of a better way to restore our minds and bodies than letting the Lord have the stress and tension.

So friends, make time to give your mind and body a break, and stick to it. Don’t talk yourself out of it, don’t make excuses, follow through, and don’t feel guilty for giving your mind and body the rest they need.

Have a good day, friends. Continued prayers for Rick and his family, and for the return of sweet Emily Rea.

Hebrews 4:9-10
So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God’s rest has also rested from his works as God did from his.