Greetings from the Soul Care Collective Steering Committee!
This weekly post includes a brief word about personal soul care from one of our amazing Soul Care Collective authors and will include an exercise for you to use at home to deepen your connection with God and nourish your soul. Consider this your invitation to stop, breathe, and take a moment to meet with God at the end of a busy week. We hope you enjoy it.
Today’s Weekly Breather comes from Laura Beach, director of Equipping Lydia. The following exercise is an excerpt from the ebook sampler of her book, Rhythms of Restoration: Practicing Grief on the Path of Grace. The sampler can be downloaded at the Seedbed Store for free.
Denial: Running from Rest
When we are perpetually tired, it is hard to find peace in our body, mind, and spirit. The longer we go without rest, the harder it is to enter into it. We can become like little children who, despite crankiness and fatigue, resist taking a nap. Typically meltdowns and tantrums ensue. Sometimes we resist rest because we are straining in every moment of daily life. We rush to get to the next place. We make lists and goals and struggle to get them all accomplished. This perpetual forging ahead at all costs can actually be us running away from something. Often that thing we run from is grief. There are losses in our lives that we simply do not want to face. This mini-retreat is for the weary among us. Come and enter into a time of rest.
Settle: Cease and Release
The harder we run, the harder it is to enter into the quiet. It is important to prepare the body, mind, and spirit for this sacred time of grieving as a spiritual rhythm.
Listen: Rest in the Word
Read this passage out loud several times. Try not to rush. Pause between each reading.
And the Lord said, My Presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest. (Exod. 33:14 amp)
Optional
Reading 1: Simply let the words flow through you, ministering to your body, mind, and spirit.
Reading 2: Which word resonates with you? Focus on that word for a few moments. Let its meaning bring rest to the place where you are most weary.
Reading 3: Rest in the presence of God. What happens within you?
Reflect: Feast on the Word
Spend some time reflecting on the passage. Let these words feed you at the places where you are most hungry. What is God revealing to you for your journey today? How would you finish this thought? God, You are revealing to me…
Pray
Take a deep breath and ask the Holy Spirit to help you. Take a few moments to stop and consider:
• Why you are tired?
• Why are you pushing so hard?
• Are you running from something?
• Is there loss that is hard to face?
• What if you could release it to Jesus? He has already taken it on the cross. Can you try to let it go today?
• What are the losses in your life that are rising in your consciousness right now?
• How would you finish this prayer? Jesus, I give You the loss of…
Name as many losses as come to your mind.
Picture yourself handing them over to Christ.
What image comes to your mind as you name and release these losses?
Take a moment and rest in God’s love. Soak in that love. Can you let it refill you to help enter into His rest? What is it you are receiving? Finish this prayer: God, I receive Your…
Can you take a few more minutes and simply be still?
God of love, help me receive…
I don’t want to be like a child fighting a much-needed nap. Help me to be like a child resting in Your love. Help me surrender control.
Holy Spirit, lead me into…
Amen.