Day 7 - Rest

I didn't plan this—the coincidence of the seventh day and the day of rest—I just didn't feel well.  I had all kinds of plans for the day and things that I would accomplish, none of which happened.  I'm happy to report that everyone else carried on in spite of my day in bed.

A great family day, in fact, because my boys spent some time together and my parents got some handyman work done by their grandson.  I am thankful that Neil's workday filled up and I had the house to myself for 5 or 6 hours... just what I needed.

What comes to mind when you think about the word rest in a biblical sense?  Often, it is Psalm 23:
The LORD is my shepherd; (Yahweh, the One True God, is leading me)
I have all that I need.  (He is my provision, my everything)
He lets me rest in green meadows; (It is His desire for me to know peace)
He leads me beside peaceful streams. (When I follow Him, I will know peace)
He renews my strength. (I pour out, He fills me again)

Other times, it is Matthew 11:28, 29:
"Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.  Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
Apparently, we need Jesus to teach us how to rest—physically, emotionally and spiritually.

True rest is more like a state of being, and less about where you are or what you are doing.  Some people can spend the day on the couch and not rest at all.  In fact, according to the American Heart Association, many heart attacks occur when people are supposedly resting.

I believe we need to be reminded that rest is beneficial to us in so many ways.  If you have trouble resting or sleeping, or feel guilty about down time, you may need to unburden yourself in this way:  Meditate on each of these passages and visualize yourself as the Lord's companion in each scenario.  After all, His word is for you—to teach, comfort, edify, and correct your wayward thinking.  Receive the message of unconditional love and there, you will find rest.


Day 7 - Eating from the Pantry

Thankfully our refrigerator is stuffed with leftovers and pre-planned menu items, that is the only way a day like this survived the challenge!
Breakfast - eggs and hash browns, leftover pancakes (75 cents on 3 eggs and 1 box potatoes)
Neil squeezed a bunch of additional oranges—yummy
We are about to run out of flavored cream for our coffee (my biggest challenge so far) so before I started feeling crummy, I spent some time trying to doctor up plain cream with some chocolate syrup... we'll see how it is tomorrow.

No lunch, nobody was home and I didn't want anything.

Dinner - the guys had leftover chili ($2)

Total cost for the day about $3


One Final Thought
I've spent a lot of today thinking about tomorrow, because we will be going to a funeral for a young woman we knew years ago when she was a child, and the circumstances of her death are devastating.  When we reunite with her family, we are hoping to bring them God's comfort and peace.