Rest

Spring BREAK

Wow it is finally Spring Break! I don’t know about you but I was ready for this break. I have often wondered why there was Spring Break and I think I realized why. It is for the parents. I am just kidding, but as a parent I am thankful for a pause.

I often wonder, as families do we pause and rest. There is a reason God rested on the 7th day. It is healthy, it is necessary, and it is scriptural. Why should we have natural pauses not only in our weeks, but also in our days, our months, and our years?

I learned the hard way about the importance of rest and want to warn and advise families to not make the same mistake I did. I am a mover and a doer. I don’t like to stop until it is too late. I am like this with my family, sports, and my job; and it almost ended badly. When my oldest daughter was 8 she got invited to play on a travel softball team. I will go there another day, but I was excited and thought, “Sweet”.

In 10 months she played 108 games. Yes they were very good, yes I thought it was awesome, but it was detrimental to not just my daughter, but also to my family. I also went 4 years without taking a long extended vacation with my family and it too took a toll on our family. I hit a place of burnout, slight depression, and ultimately a very unstable family.

I know a lot of families are right where we were. Going non-stop, working long hours, and just trying to squeeze in as much as possible. I get it. You have to work, you have certain commitments, but you also have control over the extra. You have the power to say NO, to set boundaries, to protect your family.

I am going to break down 3 reasons why rest is good for you, and then give 3 reasons that will help you create times of rest.

1. Rest is healthy.

a. When we were created, we were created with the idea of rest. Taking a day of the week and not thinking about work, not thinking about what is coming up and just focusing on the One who created us. Spending time and letting our bodies slow down and recover from the stresses and daily schedules.

b. Keep in mind even God rested. So if it is something God does we should also do this. Keep a day where it is just the family. I like Sundays because we go to church; we eat meals, and just hang out and rest to get ready for the next week.

c. Look at the last month and see if there were a few days where you stopped and rested.

2. Rest is necessary.

a. Our bodies were not designed to grind as much as we do today. There is a reason it is recommended we get 8 hours of sleep. It is necessary for us to function at our best. It is imperative that you rest.

b. Our kids need rest. Our families need rest. Rest is a good thing.

3. Rest is scriptural.

a. The word of God says in Exodus 20: 8 – 10, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.”

b. God wants us to rest. God wants us to slow down. God made us in His image and as He rested so should we.

So, you have decided you want to rest. You want to help your family be better protected and maybe you are just not sure how. Below are 3 things you can do to help set up ways to get more rest.

1. Learn to say NO.

You and your kids do not have to be involved in everything that is offered. It is okay to not do an activity year round. It is okay to say; “Not today.” You know you and your family, and sometimes we just need the day off. You have the power and should say NO. Too much is different for everyone but, lead by saying NO to things in your life, and this will free you up to say yes to the important things in your life.

2. Set boundaries.

My wife and I have set boundaries. We know that we will not practice on Sunday. Not going to happen. If the coach doesn’t like it, TOUGH!!!!! We have decided that we are not doing anything but church and family time on Sunday. We also protect Wednesday nights and look for pockets where we can pause and spend time together. We are very intentional about year round stuff. It just doesn’t happen.

We made the mistake and learned and will not let it happen again. A few tournaments are one thing, but 12, NO WAY. Set boundaries and understand your child will not be a pro. The likelihood of it happening is slim to none; so don’t waste the time and money today when it doesn’t do anything productive.

Let me be clear. I love sports and think they are very important and teach a lot of tangible things kids need: discipline, hard work, toughness to name a few; but it doesn’t need to be all consuming in your life for this to happen. Set boundaries and protect your children and your time.

3. Be intentional

Be intentional about your rest and your family’s rest. Have days where you just stay home and relax. Plan vacations. Not always the ones where you have to fit everything in, but the kind where you just relax. Sit down and look for areas where you can guard time with your family.

One thing we cannot get back is time. So be proactive and be intentional and set up guard rails to spend time as a family and rest. You will not regret the time you spent together, not on someone else’s agenda, but your agenda. You have to be able to say NO and pick the important things. Rest is very important and I would encourage you catch up on some.

Parenting and raising a family is hard, but you can do it and are doing a great job. I am here if you ever have any questions, need any advice, or just want to chat. Leave a comment and thanks for reading.

Have a super awesome good time day.

Paul