Many days we must tackle life full speed ahead, crash into bed at night, and get up the next day to do it all again. And while it’s true we must often play through many less than ideal conditions, it is also true we need regular times of rest and the restorative power of beauty in our lives.
To be sure, we’re called to provide for our families and be there for them in countless ways. We work hard to earn a living while also showing up for the ball games, recitals, and those hard days when they simply need someone to lean on.
However, while there is joy in pouring ourselves out for our families, we must also have regular times to receive. We become depleted and ineffective otherwise.
Rest and beauty are ways for us to recharge and endure in fighting the good fight God has given us.
On the one hand, rest is simply taking a break from business as usual. And while this might be time to actually do nothing, it can also include times of active rest – hobbies, play, good conversations, and the like.
But more than mere rest we also need regular doses of beauty.
Beauty comforts and inspires and revitalizes the weary soul. Perhaps it is through the beauty of God’s creation, including the human form, or other works of art. But, whatever it looks like, while rest allows us to pause and catch our breath, it’s beauty that has the power to fill us with life again.
And we need both. In fact, our vices are often desperate attempts to still find life after we’ve allowed the demands of life to suffocate the needs of our soul.
Sacrifice and play through the many demands of life. Your family needs this strength. But don’t neglect your need for rest and beauty as well. Allow yourself to breathe and be restored as you continue to fight the good fight.
Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash
