Journey to Bethlehem: Day 6

Rest is not something we do very well in our modern culture.  We find ourselves constantly on the go and overextended in our schedules - especially this time of year with all of the shopping, parties, concerts, and other things to do on top of our normal busy schedules.  

I know that I have come to a point where I try to schedule rest in my life, but even doing that, I am not great at protecting that time.  I am going on a retreat in February that is focused on refueling and reenergizing for youth pastors. But the thing I have noticed is that when I make time to rest, I actually get more done when I am trying to do productive.  Most notably for me is that when I actually take my day off on Monday and rest, I am significantly more productive on Tuesdays than I am when I am incredibly busy on Mondays.  And did you know it's easier to eat healthy when you get enough sleep because you get your energy from sleeping rather than your body wanting more and more calories to get it's energy?  God created us in a way that our minds and bodies work best with sufficient rest.  But instead we try to jam as much as we can into each and every day. 

So today, I rest on my journey to Bethlehem, allowing my body to recover from the rigor of running 22 miles over the last 5 days.  It won't be a full day of rest, but I know that when I get home from youth group tonight, instead of heading out for a run, I will be able to relax.  So whether it's a whole day, or just a brief period of time, I hope you also find time in the midst of this busy time of year for rest.  You need it.  We all do.