Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest. Exodus 34:21
Give her an inch and she’ll take a mile or in my case, give me some energy and I’ll overdo. I felt so much better that this weekend, I was on the go too much and didn’t take time to rest. On Friday, I drove to Plant City to Southwestern Produce to pick up some frozen vegetables in their monthly sale to the public. A friend was raving about how great their produce is. I am committed to eating more vegetables so ordered an assortment of our favorite vegetables to pick up Friday afternoon. I selected several different kinds of beans, squash, broccoli, soup mix and corn and three bags of fruit, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. While I was aiming for variety, what I did not realize was how large the bags would be. How to calculate the size of an eight pound bag? Let’s just say that it’s a lot, particularly of broccoli which must be light as a feather! As I was standing in line to pay, I realized that not only was the cooler I brought too small for the load I was purchasing, but my freezer would not hold it all either! The woman standing in line behind me was worried that she would be turned away because she did not order in advance, so I offered to share my order with her. Unfortunately, she only wanted a bag of beans and another of corn so my load was not significantly lightened. I called my mother in law and pawned off two bags of beans and a half bag of soup mix to her. That gave me exactly the amount that would fit in my freezer if I left three bags of corn in the refrigerator to thaw for Easter dinner. That expedition took all afternoon on Friday filling what was to be a leisurely afternoon off from work. On Saturday, I was invited to go horseback riding at the Lower Green Swamp Forest so loaded up Trucker and my tack with friends and drove back to Plant City for a day of riding in a beautiful forest. We rode alongside a fast flowing river, over wide trails perfect for trotting and past a swamp filled with tall blue flowers. It was a lovely day, but we left at 8:30 and did not get back home until 4:00. Again, I didn’t take the time to rest. Sunday included two family dinners and an Easter egg hunt. We were on the go from early in the morning until dark. No time for a nap though after eating so much I really wanted one. Today, I went back to work tired. Tonight, I was reading in You’re Made for A God Sized Dream by Holly Gerth and was convicted by these words, “God sized dreams take a lot of energy, strength and emotion. That means taking care of yourself as you pursue them is not self indulgence or a luxury. It’s a necessity,” and “Most of us are kinder to others than we are to ourselves.” Hmm, I think I better start putting time to rest on my to do list. That’s the only way I will be able to work it in.
I know EXACTLY what you mean! In fact, when I actually have a little downtime, I don't know what to do with myself. Still, I know I need it. I just haven't gotten the knack of finding it.