Real Rest.

Summer vacation - a time to rest, relax and unwind. That’s what we tell ourselves. But have you ever felt the break designed to bring rest can actually create more stress?

Our routines are disrupted. We find ourselves sleeping less, and eating more. And after days of constant togetherness, the little quirks we usually overlook in others start to become impossible to ignore. Patience is thinner. Tempers are shorter. And the very people we are trying to make lasting memories with are getting on our last nerve.

We can find it hard to see the beauty around us, with a storm raging within us. And that’s precisely what the enemy wants.

Enemy? Yes, enemy.

Not the little red devil with the pitchfork so often depicted in cartoons. That representation trivializes who he is and what he wants to do. The real enemy is the one whose ultimate goal is to separate us from God.

And he’s sneaky. He will use whatever he can to distract us, both good and bad. He uses conflict to discourage us. Temptation to trip us up. And tragedy to get us to doubt God‘s goodness. But he can also use the pleasures of this world to shift our focus away from the true joy found in the presence of our Father.

What starts as a break from our regular routines, can sometimes become a break from our daily fellowship with God. We slowly drift. And after days of drifting - even admiring the beauty of new places - we can find ourselves out at sea, disconnected from our Source of power and peace.

Just like Peter walking on water, staying above the wind and waves is only possible with our eyes fixed on the One who is greater than every distraction, every temptation and every storm.

One of the quickest ways to get our eyes back on Jesus is by lifting our voices in praise to Him. Worship shifts our focus from our circumstances back to our Creator. As we remember His greatness, our problems become smaller. As we remember His goodness, our hearts begin to trust again.

Whatever your summer plans may be, continue to draw close to Him each day with a song of praise in your heart. Because real rest isn’t found in escaping life’s pressures, it’s found in His presence.

Blessings,

Lori