Rest and Restore

I have returned from an awesome weekend! I went with a friend to a quiet peaceful cabin on a beautiful island. The minute we walked into the cabin we could just feel the peacefulness of the cabin enfold us, we stood where we were and breathed. The weekend was full of quietness, reading books, journaling, prayers, meditation and the sharing of stories. Time was spent walking the beaches, exploring the trails and just being in awe over nature and creation.

I arrived at the island tired, my mind full of work and family items. I left the island feeling restored and rested. It has made me realize how important it is in life to slow down to just be quiet and still our minds. We all need to find time to remove ourselves from the stress and busyness of life, to escape from all of the television, computers and electronic gizmos that occupy so much of our time.  There is so much going on around us that we never have time to just be with our thoughts and feelings, to sink deep within ourselves and find out who we are. 

Now being back at work for the last two days and out every evening, I sit here and take the time to close my eyes and put myself back into the quiet cabin, down at the beach listening to the peaceful waves coming to shore, walking the trails amongst the ferns and trees in the forest...and I deeply breathe.  Remembering the sounds and feelings can still bring me peace, and quiet my rambling mind.

You don’t have to really go away to find all of these things, it is much easier when we are away but we can do all this in our own home towns. It takes a lot of self control to shut off the television and the computer, to take ourselves outdoors and experience the tranquility that nature has to offer us, to sit quietly meditating, to journal and to breathe deeply, but it can be done. I hope I can do this, give myself the time each week to rest and restore but I know my self discipline is going to need a lot of work. It won’t be easy nor near as much fun as this past weekend was but I feel it will be well worth the effort.

I am so thankful for this past weekend, for friendships, for the ocean waves, the quiet forests ...I feel so blessed to have had this time. Life is such a gift and so are special friends.