Searching For the Off Switch

How many of us go through the day like this – from one task to another, checking off the “to do” list with satisfaction and moving to the next chore, until our days are nothing but managed tasks? I have always been a list maker. There is something so satisfying about checking off those tasks. Perhaps it is part of my goal-oriented personality. I am most satisfied when I am “accomplishing something.” But I used to be able to do my tasks, and then relax. Rest.

Even God took a break. The Bible tells us, For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy (Exodus 20:10-12). So, let me get this straight. God created the universe and still had time to take a day off, but I don’t? Whether you believe in God or not – it is valid, this idea of taking a sabbath. A quick look at an online dictionary tells me that sabbath is defined as a “time of rest.” An entire day of doing nothing. Resting. I live on a lake, so a day of resting in the summer is not hard to imagine. It involves sun and water and floating. But in the middle of an Indiana winter? What does that look like? What would I do to rest? And, an entire day! Surely you jest.

Perhaps, today, I will try it for an hour. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Goal for the day: An hour of doing nothing.

But, now on to my other work in progress – a four book series I will refer to as CM [Update – this is my first public mention of the series that would become the Cooper Moon series]. The rough draft of the first novel is done. Now working on rewrites. I love this book. I love these charcters. How fun to be able to spend the day with them.

I will leave you with the quotes on rest that I looked up. That way, looking them up won’t seem like a complete waste of time. (Yes, I know. I’m working on it though)

How about you? What do you do to rest? Let me know in the “comments” section. The only thing I can think of is a long and hot bath (see great quote below by Sylvia Plath). But there is only so much time you can spend in the bathtub! What do you do to rest and relax?

Rest……….

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time. Sir John Lubbock

I still need more healthy rest in order to work at my best. My health is the main capital I have and I want to administer it intelligently. Ernest Hemingway

Sometimes the most urgent and vital thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest. Ashleigh Brilliant

There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them. Sylvia Plath, The Bell Jar

The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it. Author Unknown

To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring – it was peace. Milan Kundera

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Cheryl Shireman is the bestselling author of several novels, including Broken Resolutions, the Life is But a Dream series, and the Cooper Moon series. She is also the author of ten books for toddlers including the eight Let’s Learn About series focusing on different animals and I Love You When: For Girls and I Love You When: For Boys.