Chaplaincy News

The Gift of Rest 

As we approach the end of the term, a theme of 'weariness' is emerging within our student and staff community. The days are getting shorter, the weather is turning icy, and darkness is creeping in earlier each day. Yet, we find ourselves at a peak moment when assessments are due, reports are looming, and HPA is just around the corner! As the fatigue of the term sinks in, I'm reminded of this beautiful quote that sits on my desk: 

"Sometimes, the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths." - Etty Hillesum 

It's easy to get caught up in the busyness of the day and strive to push through our tiredness, rather than intentionally stopping to rest. Rest requires us to set personal boundaries around our lives, our minutes, our hours - something that doesn't come easily for many of us. 

The Bible offers deep wisdom and encouragement about exchanging our 'daily hustle' for a 'daily hush' in the presence of God. We often forget that rest is a necessity for living well and loving well. Rest is required to fully give of ourselves and our talents. It invites room in life for creativity to bloom and purpose to be realised. Rest is sacred. It's a gift. 

Every day, we expend physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, sensory, and creative energy. With each type of energy used, we as vessels are poured out. Failing to allow time to be poured back into can result in feelings of emptiness and burnout. Perhaps you've been there too, juggling the need to get things done with the need for restoration and rest. Or maybe you've found yourself struggling to navigate opportunities while prioritising your need for space, silence, and surrender. 

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." It's an open invitation to all to receive whatever type of rest is required - rest for your mind, body, emotions, and relationships. It's an invitation without restriction, an offer for rest in every area. I love this invitation to receive rest, rather than it being another thing to add to our to-do list. This transforms the idea of human relaxation and expands it into full restoration. Restoration replenishes us physically, fortifies our mental health, and gives us a sense of self beyond life's busyness. 

One of my favourite passages in Scripture about restoration is Isaiah 58:11-12: 

"I'll give you a full life in the emptiest of places - firm muscles, strong bones. You'll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry." 

We all desperately need restoration. The hustle and bustle of life keep us in constant motion, consequently wearing down our bodies, minds, and spirits. At the same time our bodies, minds, and spirits are being depleted, we also hear a clear message from society that we should discard something once it's worn out and used up and replace it with something new. See the problem? We can't jump online and buy a new body, mind, or spirit. We can't consume our way through burnout. Instead, we must restore and care for the gifts God has given us - the gifts of our bodies, minds, and souls. God didn't create us to participate in the world's wear-down cycle, the culture of constant consumption that leads to so much unrest. Instead, we have been made to engage in regular rhythms of physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual restoration - rhythms that pull us out of the world's churning and fill us with life, and life to the fullest. 

How can you build a pattern of rest into your family's life? 

Erin Juers

Chaplain