For the past couple of weeks, I've been in dialogue with fellow missionaries about finding rest for the purpose of rejuvenating your soul. Living internationally, finding rest can be difficult, but is of utmost importance for spiritual vitality. You're in a new culture with a new set of rules for rest, not to mention the added (and unrealistic) pressure of "advancing the Kingdom of God one soul at a time." Sometimes it's difficult to break away (one friend mentioned having to leave the island altogether because there is no place to hide where someone won't find her and need her attention). Other times, and this was true of me in Puerto Viejo, I was able to "get away," but had no idea what to do once I had my alone time. Safety was always an issue as were cultural misperceptions and just the boring atmosphere of living hundreds of miles away from any movie theater or mall (which were the "special" things I did when visiting the capitol). But throughout my 3 1/2 years in PV, I learned to enjoy the slower pace of life, made a few friends, and was able to find ways to rest & rejuvenate my soul.
Now, living in the States, I've had to re-learn how to rejuvinate my soul. Throughout my time in PV, I learned that my soul feels rest in a few different ways - long walks or bike rides, enjoying nature either sitting on the beach or walking a jungle trail, playing with my dog, or hanging out with friends for dinner or at the Skate Park. And while I can no longer enjoy the jungle trails, I have found alternative ways to break away, enjoy nature, and connect with God.
But along with these new ways of finding rest, I have spent much more time in front of the television. Living in PV, any form of entertainment was gladly welcomed and it was nice to borrow a DVD, kick back on my wooden sofa and turn my brain off for a couple hours. Here in the States, life is too efficient. I accomplish more things in less amount of time and for possibly the first time in my life, I am not over committed. And to celebrate, I sit in front of the tv and have become addicted to DVR and reality tv shows. And I have found that this does not rejuvenate my soul.
In his article "Play Time," Alex Chediak addresses this issue of recreation. From his perspective, our North American understanding of work creeps into our recreation in the idea that I work hard in order to get my "me time". In striving for this alone time, we often find ourselves vegging in front of the computer or tv or PS2. And as a result, we don't actually sleep better and do not feel refreshed and ready for more work. His solution? Be intentional about your recreation.
I agree that it is important to choose activities that refresh your soul. In fact, the Bible is full of commands about rest (observing the Sabbath should be first to pop into your head). It's as if God knows what we need & has therefore given numerous examples and commands to keep us sane and healthy (which is no big surprise since He created us). One of my favorite examples of soul refreshing is in 2 Kings 3:15. When Elisha listened to music, the "hand of the Lord came upon him." He was inspired by music.
So, what refreshes or inspires you? Maybe it's time to consider the way you spend your time in recreation and be more purposeful about it.
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