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Rest Your Eyes

Matthew 11:28-30 

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”


This spring I read the book by Rev. Tricia Hersey from The Nap Ministry and have been returning to it as a well of encouragement to live into regular rest practices. In her book, “Rest Is Resistance”, she tells the story of an elder in her life who practiced rest daily by taking a pause to, “Rest their eyes.” This story reminded me of my neighbor Ms. Estella who had a similar practice of, “resting her eyes” every afternoon. As a child it was a puzzle to me, but her commitment to this practice made a big impression on me. 

The ways we all rest is different, but what if “resting our eyes” was something we all engaged in? 

This photo comes from last week’s vaca time.


 

As the last campfire burned down, I collected some glow-in-the-dark stones and spelled out the word “BE”. 
"Be" is reminder to the next visitor (and myself) to take time to simply be and rest.
Even as I prepared to return home and all that was waiting, for me to remember to take the practice of sacred rest with me.

What is your sacred practice of rest?
How do you rest your eyes, heart and mind?
Remember that rest is a sacred practice. 
Remember that God rests, and that we must rest too.

Gratitude to Ms. Estella (and The Nap Ministry) for showing me a new way to see rest as a sacred practice.

Sincerely,




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