Sacred Rest 5 Day Reading PlanSample

REDEFINE REST

My research and observations on rest revealed a gaping hole in our definition of rest. Rest had become synonymous with sleep or a cessation of all activity. But what if rest is in itself a vital activity required to tend to the garden of our lives? What if rest is the water that replenishes the dryness? What if rest is fertilizer awakening us to growth and greatness? What if rest is the hands of the gardener pulling up the weeds threatening to edge out beauty?

All rest is not created equal. Much of what we consider rest fails to work because it is not restful. Shifting our activities or changing the location of where we are active is no more restful than doing those same activities at home. The most effective rest occurs when we are purposefully reviving the parts of our life we regularly deplete. Any so-called rest that does not meet this goal isn’t rest; it’s just more work adding to the busyness.

When I first realized there were different types of rest, I was captivated by the revelation. How can rest be complicated? Isn’t resting supposed to be simple? So if it’s so simple, why do so many of us have such a hard time doing it? And when we do it, why do we still not feel rested? These were the questions that led me on a quest to dig deeper, to uncover the hidden secrets of the well rested and to recline there in that knowledge until I too found room to breathe.

Just in reading this devotional, you have used physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, sensory, and creative energy. Each is drawing from a different energy pool. Each needs to be restored in preparation for the next time it will be called upon. Your body needs physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, sensory, and creative rest. Omit any one of these, and you will feel the consequences of the resulting rest deficit.

So what kind of tired are you?



If you awake full of energy every morning and are dragging by the afternoon, you may be missing adequate physical rest to sustain your day. If you get out of bed tired in the morning and then become energized as the day progresses, you may be experiencing creative restlessness. And if you experience an overall lack of meaning and fulfillment, a spiritual or emotional rest deficit may be to blame. Understanding which type of rest you are deficient in is critical to correcting this imbalance.

If your job is mentally draining but physically undemanding, physical rest will fail to leave you feeling rested. Mental rest is what’s required to bring your mental reservoir back to a healthy level. If you spend most of your day staring at a bright computer screen or hearing constant noise, your body will need sensory rest to feel renewed. If your circumstances cause you to struggle with faith and the meaning of life, your soul will desire spiritual rest to return to a place of peaceful contentment. For every depleting activity in your day, there is a counter reviving activity to balance the scales. 

Take a moment identify your rest deficits. Complete the personal rest deficit assessment you’ll find here. It ’s important you take an introspective look at your current state. Doing so will allow you to see immediately which types of rest you need to focus on getting and which types you already excel at obtaining. [LINK: http://www.RestQuiz.com]

 

Did you enjoy this reading plan? If so, click here to learn more about the book Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith [LINK: http://ichoosemybestlife.com/sacred-rest/]