Soul Rest

 

Life is busy.  Life is hard.  But, oh , is it beautiful!  Every so often the busyness and chaos of life begins to wear down my soul.  The demands of work, parenting, marriage, and keeping a household going is exhausting.  I often feel like I’m on a merry-go-round that I am unable to dismount.  I’ve learned just how important it is for me to be intentional about self care and plan for regular breaks to allow my soul the rest it needs.

Once or twice a year, I attend a scrapbooking retreat weekend at Clifty Falls in Madison, Indiana.  I stay at the Clifty Inn, spending my time crafting, chatting, and resetting my soul.  In the weeks leading up to these planned weekends, my anticipation grows.  However, the dread of packing, lugging around my supplies, and the concern that I will not accomplish as much as I hope or believe I should overshadows my excitement.  It is quite a juxtaposition to both anticipate with joy and dread with stress a singular activity.  Soon after I get unloaded and settled in, I am quickly reminded why I make these trips.  Soul rest.  

First, there is the connection of community.  I’ve made friends at these events over the years.  We catch up on the happenings in our lives, often filling the air with our laughter.  The strangers I meet become instant friends as we share about our families, trips we’ve taken, crafting successes and struggles, and everything in between.  Everyone shares supplies, snacks, and conversation.  We come from different cities, states, socioeconomic backgrounds, and belief systems.  However, the commonality of our love of crafting unites us.  Simply being in this setting indicates that “you are one of us.”  Kindness and hospitality is the language we speak.

Secondly, the beauty of nature that surrounds the Inn is breathtaking.  Nature is where I best connect with God and peace settles into my soul.  Wondering at the marvels His hands crafted leaves me in awe.  I realize what a skilled crafter He is, and that He gifted me with the creativity to craft as a reflection of His glory.  It may sound odd to say that something as simple as scrapbooking connects me to my maker, yet it does. This trip, I brought a few frozen meals to heat in the microwave.  As I prepared my food, I realized that I had forgotten to bring eating utensils.  I could have driven to town to purchase some; instead, I tapped into my creativity to solve my issue. I found two small coffee stir sticks in the coffee making essentials near the Keurig.  They became tiny chopsticks with which to eat my sweet and sour chicken and rice bowl.

Lastly, the solitude of an empty hotel room allows me space to relax.  I am able to fully release the responsibilities awaiting me at home and simply rest.  There are no dirty dishes to wash, no floors to clean, no meals to cook, no schedules to juggle, and no pets to entertain.  I am left with complete solitude to reflect on my thoughts.  The freedom to sleep if I’m tired, eat when I’m hungry, or engage in social activity is what my soul needs to reboot.  While I enjoy the community and socialization I get from the large conference room full of like-minded women, my introverted personality requires solitude.  Knowing there is no agenda and no expectations placed upon me, I have the agency and ability to retreat to my room as I please.  My actions do not demand explanation.

As I look out over the Ohio River surrounded by the freckling of the autumn hued trees, my mind scoops up the peace in my soul and places it into a bottle of tranquility.  When I return to the chaos of my busy life, I will open that bottle and drink from these memories.  I hope that you are able to find moments of tranquility from which you can drink, as well.