Last week at our Echo Gathering we introduced a structure created by Christian author, Rebekah Lyons that she outlines in her book, Rhythms of Renewal. Lyons explains there are four healthy rhythms that we can partner with God to implement in our lives.
Input Rhythms: These are served by God to fill us with His love.
Rest: Slowing down, catching our breath, prioritizing the rest we need for our minds, bodies, and spirits.
Restore: Doing the necessary work that is required to heal and care for ourselves, also in mind, body, and spirit.
Output Rhythms: These are served by God to use us to love His world.
Connect: Prioritizing healthy community and relationships based on grace, love, intentional connection.
Create: Using our gifts and talents to serve others and make His name known.
Rhythmic beauty exists all around us! From the ebb and flow of tides, to the changing seasons, and day turning into night, our Divine Creator loves to show off. He even created our bodies with so many rhythms – our heartbeat being just one example.
My dad has a heart condition known as AFib, which simply means his heart gets out of rhythm at times. When this occurs, he notices it. He’s distracted by it and it interrupts the quality of his life. He’s not his best self when he’s in AFib. And the same is true for us! When we are out of rhythm, we are distracted by it, our quality of life is impacted, and we can’t be our best selves.
As women, we are often out of rhythm because we lean more heavily into our output rhythms; we do and perform and over function and put others first. We neglect our input rhythms of Rest and Restore. No wonder we become exhausted and even moody and irritable at times! We are depleted and out of harmony.
Focusing on just the first rhythm at this time, I encourage you to take time to consider what does realistic rest look like for you? Given your season of life, roles, and responsibilities, how can you develop rhythms of rest in your life: daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly? When devising your list, consider actions that address the type of rest you need at any given moment.
For example:
Sometimes your body is in need of rest. What can you shuffle around to ensure a good night’s sleep or even a power nap?
Mental rest is also a common need. How can you purposefully turn off the noise around you to give your mind the rest it needs?
And, we’ve all experienced times we are emotionally exhausted. Self-awareness of rising emotions can call for a “time out” for deep breathing or a quiet walk to get us back in rhythm.
Lastly, and most importantly, I encourage you to redefine what rest means to you. While our world defines rest as lazy and selfish, our God uses it as a sacred tool to shape us more into the image of Jesus. Our Savior modeled rest (for His mind, body, and spirit) throughout His life. Rest is a holy connection that we can enter into for a deeper connection with our Heavenly Father. Perhaps we need to begin by viewing rest as the gift and necessity that it is, and not allowing ourselves to feel guilty when we prioritize it.
May holy rest find you today,
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