Giving yourself some escape

"Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
                                                                                         Matthew 11:28.  NKJV

When did you last go off on your own and just kick up some leaves? What I mean is, when was the last time that you gave yourself permission to have some quality time doing what you want to do instead of what others expect of you?

Psalm 23:3 says, 'He restores my soul.' He wants to restore your thoughts and those emotions that can appear so raw at times that you don't know if you're coming or going. Our world is a busy place and at times it can appear overwhelming. Time seems to be swallowed up by work and doing chores such as shopping, cleaning, gardening or mending the car. Most of us have hobbies but spend little time enjoying them because of such things. Therefore, you need to find the time before time runs out.

I used to work in a hospice and it could be heartbreaking listening to people, with very short time left to live, reminiscing of their earlier life. Many would say they wished they had done things differently. They would have spent more time with their family, instead of work and they would have given more time to their hobbies too. Now it was too late.

Make sure that you do all you can to spend quality time with people and your hobbies. Don't be that person who says, 'Yes, I'll do that tomorrow.' Today is the only day that you can be sure of; you may not have tomorrow. Make the most of it now!

We need rest. We need time to restore our energy level and to re-focus and build ourselves up. And Jesus advises us to do just that. The rest that He will give us, will restore our thought life. Let's face it, we all have thoughts that can burden us and drag us down. Our emotions can be stretched to breaking point so that we can find it difficult to make a move because we're frightened it will be the wrong decision. 

Take some time out and let Jesus build you back up. Have you ever walked the fields with Him? He knows every bird, insect and wildflower. He's great to have as company. 
What about that holiday; that weekend away that you've been talking about but haven't done anything about yet? What about that meal out in the restaurant? Don't keep putting it off. 

Have you a hobby that you can escape too? Everyone needs this. Some read; others go walking, birdwatching or sketching. You may think, 'I can't do any of them.' Of course you can! No ones going to be marking you out of ten for your efforts. It's just doing something out of the ordinary that you can disappear into.
Why not try it? You may find it's the best investment that you've made in a long time.

We all need rest and I'm not talking of going to sleep on the sofa. I'm talking of doing something that will give you great enjoyment, relaxation and more than anything, time with the one who matters most - Jesus!

Copyright 2019 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@protonmail.com