Unproductive

Recently, I found myself with unusual downtime. I couldn’t even read, which most writers consider part of their job. I had hours of nothing.

Mostly, I didn’t want sand in the charging port of my iPad–but it was also too bright to see. It occurred to me, on the beach, that I measure my days in activities.

Even on vacation, I measure days by bike rides, walks, or swimming. I’ve never tallied the nothings. I don’t check off a box for the event of stillness.

So after a few hours of shifting to angle a different side of my face toward the sun or shade, and listening to waves, I wondered why rest can’t be an activity?

Put “nothing” on the schedule

Maybe you are better at planning rest, but I feel like most of us mostly wait for mandatory rest, like illness. It was a loving God who scheduled a rhythm of rest in the Sabbath mandate.

Removing activities brings rest, but more than renewal and regeneration happen when you do nothing.

Revival

You’ve probably experienced the shower solution. Not that standing under running water is magic, but focusing on something other than the problem can bring the solution.

More than a solution, emptying yourself of focus brings space to create.

If you find your prayer life stymied. Try sitting still and inviting God to speak instead. “Search me God and know my heart…” Psalm 139:23

And if you have writer’s block (or just find other areas of your life creatively unproductive) try pulling back from the physical & mental work of solution seeking…and just rest.

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Beliefs represented by individual authors are not necessarily shared by all members of ICW.