Rest
Originally published at Perches in the Soul. You can comment here or there.
Rest is a beautiful thing. I am not talking about sleep. Although as someone who professionally lives without sleep for extensive portions of my life, sleep is also beautiful too. But I am talking about R E S T. Rest is deeper than sleep. Rest is sitting on the back porch and watching the fireflies come out and being a little in awe of the twilight magic. Its finding time to pray not in supplication with desperate desires but with simple gratitude for God’s provision and in praise. Its eating a home grown tomato with wonder at how that flimsy looking plant produced something some tantalizing. Appreciating the little things. Its laughing with people who you love or listening to the joys of the same people. Its playing with a child. Rest is when instead of thinking with much anxiety about the next day, next year, next job, next life stage, you are content and hopeful where you are. Its savoring life. Its when you choose joy over fear, learning and growth over judgement and peace and contentment over status or achievement.
I am HORRIBLE at rest. Being type A (further compounded by the gimp need to prove my worth to people) and being surrounded by other type A, OCD physicians at one of the most elite programs in the country makes me in constant state of anti-rest. I have been working on rest and this summer despite back to back ICU months, I have been getting better.
And I have been shocked at how much happier I am in life and at work. I enjoyed the PICU even amongst the death and the hours and I am enjoying the summer’s “Friday Night Lights” in the ED with all of the summer’s traumas, beads in the nose (I’m bored, what would happen if I stuff this up my nose…) and poison ivy.
Life is Good. God is good.