August Breather Month
We invite all of our Lifesprings community leaders, prayer partners, stewards, and friends to join us for the month of August in practicing sabbath rest as God might lead. Over the next four weeks, Tuesday Together writings will center around the theme of rest. In place of all our regularly scheduled meetings, we invite our community to spend more intentional time each day in silence, solitude and rest with God, to focus on “being” with Him rather than “doing.” There is no formula or set of rules for “breather” month — just take time to “be” with God.
Here is a PDF with some suggestions to help you draw closer to God during the month.
We pray breathing a month of refreshing Sabbath air will be a time of life giving and soul strengthening for you.
Listen:
“He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” (Psalm 23:2-3)
Reflect:
It’s a quiet morning. The kids are at different summer camps and I am at home. Chores are done, house is clean and the kids aren’t here to make it dirty.
Now what? I am uncomfortable in the quiet. I am tempted to start a project. Maybe I should reorganize the storage closet, or go through the kids’ clothes to see what doesn’t fit and what they may need for school in the fall. I should really weed around all my lavender plants outside. While I’m out there I could organize my garage. Busy, busy, busy brain. And like that, my open green meadows morning is hijacked.
I don’t know where along the way I decided that productivity and my value were linked. Proverbs tells us to not be slothful or a sluggard and verses like “run the race to win the prize” in 1 Corinthians, and “work heartily” in Colossians have inspired me on my productivity quest, maybe even helped me to justify an addiction to being busy.
Rest is crucial. Rest is beautiful. God rested on the 7th day. Jesus rested on a boat in a storm and then he made the waters rest. Rest and prayer were part of Jesus’ daily life rhythms.
The more I practice rest, the easier it is to embrace the truth that separate from anything I do, I am valuable, God loves me and Jesus desires to be with me. When I choose to rest in God’s presence, I am choosing what is best. He leads me. He guides me. He renews me.
Prayer of Response:
Lord, Thank you for the reminder that rest and renewal come from you. Thank you for this time of rest today. May everything I do today bring you honor and glory, especially the time I take to rest in you. Amen
Questions to Ponder:
- What holds you back from being able to rest?
- How can you pursue healthy rest today?
Breath Prayer:
As a new weekly rhythm, join us in praying breath prayers each day. We invite you to write your own as well.
Inhale(Breathe in): Jesus, lead me.
Exhale(Breathe out): Help me rest in you.
Inhale(Breathe in): You guide me.
Breathe out: You renew me.
—Submitted by: Erinne Baker
Erinne and her husband Travis live in Klamath Falls, Oregon where they are raising their four kids: Charlotte(13), Benjamin(9), William(8) and Wyatt (5). She is learning daily what it means to trust God and live a life fueled by love and grace. She is an ordained pastor and has a blog called: http//:truthseekeraskingquestions.com.