Beholding Rest

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

This adage has been said for decades, but I believe much more is in the eye of the beholder than beauty. Adventure, love, challenge, accomplishment, even rest — all in the eye of the beholder.

I’ll share an example:

I got a special deal when I bought my car, five years of free oil changes! Pretty sweet, right? Yes, except that an average oil change takes two hours instead of the jiffy drive through 15 minutes. So, when I call to make my oil change appointment, I have to be prepared to entertain myself. I could be frustrated that the same service takes 8 times as long, or I could believe that rest is in the eye of the beholder.

I am a chronic over-scheduler. I squeeze every last productive minute out of each day. My forced two hours of sitting time is a good thing for me. I have no vehicle, internet, or mobility and I love every minute of it. I bring a stack of books, my journal, my Bible and soak in the goodness. I could be upset at my forced stillness, my stolen morning, my involuntary time window, or I could choose to view it as an opportunity for rest.

reading rest oil changeRest is in the eye of the beholder.

 

4 comments / Add your comment below

  1. Love this, Kelly! Lately my “rest” has been in the form of running. Love getting outside and away from the piano, dishes, and emails to think and pray.

  2. Yes, Jessie, I get that too! I’ll come home exhausted from a long day and KNOW that I need to move to feel better. It’s one of the few times I can’t check anything else off my to do list and I must be fully present in the run. I’m sure you understand!

  3. Even what “rests” us seems to be in the eye of the beholder. I’ve found that sitting outside (when the weather cooperates) is restful to me. Some people are rested by reading Scripture or running, others would be more restored by taking a shower or 15 minutes with a novel or a phone call to a friend. It can take experimentation to find out – not a bad project!

  4. Yes! Do you also find that what is restful changes?? Sometimes what “worked” for me last time just isn’t doing the job this time. It is helpful to have an arsenal of restful options to combat the relentless inner drive to do more.

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