Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Matthew 11:28
“I’m tired.”
This is a phrase I hear a lot. In all vulnerability, it’s a phrase I have said more often than I would like to admit. And I’m not just talking about a physical tiredness – though sometimes that is true, too.
There is a weariness that seems to pervade our society. A mental or emotional, even spiritual, exhaustion that lingers.
The source of our tiredness varies. Often it’s a too busy schedule, too many emotional demands or expectations. Sometimes it’s root is loneliness. Or lingering longings that causes a restless weary from waiting. An anxiety of mind or heart. A felt pressure to perform. The societal badge for busy. The list is endless.
The specific need for rest is as unique as each of us, yet the “tired” is common among most of us.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Throughout Scripture God invites us to rest. He promises to give us rest. Yes, He even commands it when He invites us to Sabbath. There is a sacredness to rest that is easy to miss.
Yes. Rest is sacred.
In Dr. Sandra Daulton-Smith’s book, Sacred Rest, she observes “The sacredness of rest remains even when we refuse to acknowledge it. The need to break away, for the body to have periods of peace, is rooted in our anatomy.“
But how do we do that? How do we honor the sacredness of rest? What actually is rest? Because rest is more than sleep.
“Rest is not simply pushing the pause button on your day. Rest is not merely taking a break. Rest is about replenishing, restoring, renewing , recovering, rebuilding, regeneration, remolding, and repairing… It’s an opportunity to put back in order anything that has shifted out of alignment with God’s best.” Sacred Rest, p. 29
One verse that resonated during times of prayer for the collaborative ECC/Riverside Women’s Retreat Team, was Exodus 33:14.
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
A rest – in the midst of real life – sourced by the Presence of God and belonging to Him.
I have experienced this kind of rest. In the times of “tired”, I long for it. It is the kind of rest I want and need – how about you?
The more time we spent with this verse, the more confident we felt this was the direction God was leading for this year’s retreat.
come&rest Is a weekend designed by women of ECC and Riverside to create space for you to step away from the normal rhythms of life and connect with God and other women.
As we plan to gather together in November, we are excited to welcome Laura L Smith as our speaker!
Laura is a best-selling author and speaker who leads women to tear down lies and replace them with the truth that we are loved and empowered by Jesus. Laura has been learning about the value, need, and significance of rest, and rest’s connection to knowing who we are in Christ.
Laura, her husband, and their four kids live in the college town of Oxford, OH. She enjoys running the wooded trails, strolling the brick streets, shopping at the farmer’s market, or going on a sunset walk with her family.
Just as the source of our weariness is individual, we know practically rest will look different for each of us. We look forward to exploring how God’s presence and activity in our lives can offer the rest that we each need.
We pray you will accept the invitation and be a part of come&rest as we gather at Camp Tecumseh on November 10-12, 2023
Additional information and the link to register are at ecclife.net/womensretreat