WRITING IN THE MARGINS.
Yesterday was the National Day of Rest for Black Women. I posted on socials about it and got some of the funniest responses. One was, “Literally we need like a month out reminder and then daily reminders until the day.” 😂 FELT! It was almost as though we needed enough time to be “productive” about our resting. I’ve spoken about this before, but productivity is intoxicating. Nothing quite gets me going like scratching off a to-do list. I struggle with this (hence the video). It all begs the question: What does our inability to rest say about our relationship to Christ?
Peter Scazzero said it well, “We stop and rest on Sabbath for a twenty-four hour period because God is on the throne, assuring us the world will not fall apart if we stop working. God is taking care of the universe and manages quite well without us having to run things.”
An inability to rest speaks to a self-reliance that God never intended for us. We are constantly “on” and rest seems like an afterthought. Please hear me: this is not to downplay or diminish your contributions to the world and the people who depend on you. Our responsibilities are important and a lot of our life can feel stressful and high-stakes. Some of us take care of kids, elderly, and/or loved ones. Some of us have intense jobs and businesses. Others navigate the wellness hamster wheel- trying to drink enough water, eat healthily, work out, go to church, love on our friends, and date. Ironically, rest can feel like another added “thing” to juggle in our lives.
The truth is, rest is a rewarding requirement. Anything that runs too long without a pause or “beat” risks shutting down. Our phones and laptops will overheat. Our cars will rack up thousands of dollars in maintenance costs. Homes deteriorate. Human beings have mental & emotional breakdowns, health problems, and spiritual distress.
It is my hope and prayer that we (with the guidance of God and trusted sources) develop margin in our lives. What is “margin”? It is space and room. Margin is essential to carving out space in our lives to breathe, reflect, assess, and rest. We need this in every aspect of our lives- with our time, our resource, relational, mental and spiritual toolboxes.
Contrary to my video above (lol), I’ve been thinking about this a lot and for quite some time. I’m having discussions with women, reading, learning and praying about this. Keep an eye out so we can grow together. Love ya!
