(Photo by Jacob Townsend on Unsplash)
Friends, I can't even begin to tell you how exhausted I am. I don't think I realized how depleted I was getting with all the travel, speaking engagements, book writing, Twelve Record finishing, and then 10 days of pokes, prods, MRI's and other body-taxing tests at the Mayo clinic in November.
Exhausted is an understatement.
I could feel it coming on. It was like a train wreck in slow motion. And Depression was a tiger in the corner just waiting to pounce. I knew I needed to slow down, but my schedule was filled, and I keep my commitments. So onward I pushed. Caffeinating. Sugar-ing. Chocolate-ing. Pain-medicating...with good cause, really. My body has been suffering. The abdominal pain, and now kidney pain has hit like a wrecking ball, or rather a dull, radiating ache. Day. After. Day. All this without answers. Wait a minute. I thought I was healed last November? Yep, I was. And I planned my year and my 2017 schedule like a really healthy person. But it didn't turn out quite like I had imagined. Ever have that? Queue the #Detour song. Even though I've had a banner year of productivity, it came at a cost. It's December, and I'm dying. My body, my soul, my spirit is like "Enough!"
Are you dying in December? You are not alone.
Enter: Rest. This morning I listened to an album I just received in the mail yesterday. The song I put on repeat was "Song of Rest." I've been resting, sleeping, breathing, songwriting, petting the dog, sitting by the fire, staring at the Christmas tree lights, and just spent hours sideways in bed. Isn't that wonderful? But it's not fixing it. Guess what? It takes more than 2-3 weeks to catch up from whirl winding all year, or many years. News flash, I know.
Anyway, me and Jesus (Or Jesus and I...I never remember that stupid grammar rule. Sorry mom.) had a pow-wow this morning with this song. Honestly, I just let it wash over me. I cried. I prayed. I cried some more. It was so healing to my spirit. I would love for you to hear it. Maybe your soul is in need of some rest right now. Maybe the chaos of your life, even the good things, has gotten a bit out of control lately and left you depleted.
The Lord doesn't want us depleted. It leads to "defeated." He actually created us to enjoy rest. When we rest, we rise in victory. #spiritualnuggets
Here's the song back story: It's always exciting when you've worked so hard and your project FINALLY comes to life. This is the case for my friend Beth Champion Mason. A couple years ago I hosted a songwriting retreat in my home here in Nashville. This song, Song of Rest, was one Beth and I wrote together upstairs in my music studio with dear friends Rosie McGough and Julie Nevel. The four of us just began pouring out our song in that room. Voices swelled in harmony as we sung about God's song of rest over us. What a moment.
I've created a 2-minute teaser of the song for you to enjoy. But if you really love it, please do me a favor and honor my friend Beth by buying the song, (or even the whole 14-song album!) I can tell you, 14 songs is quite a feat. I bet she's exhausted! Lol.
Enjoy and be blessed my friends!
I may or may not get blogs out every other week. I'm just going to receive this season of rest and work on my healing. I know you get it, and you'll be okay. God isn't finished yet. I'm on His agenda and timing, walking it out step by step. Right now my diet and nutrition are currently under massive renovation. Pray for me. I'm not drinking coffee.
I love you all! May December be a month of supreme rest and unexpected joy!
Joyfully,
Rachel B.
----------
"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time
we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
----------