“If you wait until you’re thirsty to take a drink, it’s too late. Your body is already into dehydration.” by Wayne Cordeiro “ Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion
We were heading out to Canada Day celebration (Canada’s birthday) and one of my kids said, “I am not thirsty. Why do I have to bring my water bottle?” Some times in our physical life we think we can just tough it through, and fail to understand the role of drinking before we are empty.
During a season in my life I was not taking proper rest or self-care. I had become dehydrated in a way. Feeling like life is overwhelming, questioning my calling (work), feeling like I could not even see the path right in front of me. And, struggling with just basic tasks at work.
Have you ever experienced something like that?
Sometimes we find ourselves feeling dehydrated in our life from lack of rest or other circumstances. Given where you are at right now, ‘Are you feeling hydrated or dehydrated, or somewhere in between? What is your reality? Circle where you are at on the scale? How are you feeling?’
(dehydrated) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (hydrated)
Psalm 23:1
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing”
Rest in our life is like drinking water. I was aware of the need to practise rest, and even had some people ask me once and awhile if I was doing it. I will save my reasons for not resting for another time. However, rest is like drinking water. I am learning if you do not keep the rhythm of it, it will take you longer to recover.
On http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/dehydration-home-treatment they share that just for a short dehydration time it can take up to 24 hours to replace all the fluids you lost from just a low or medium dehydration experience.
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/recovering-from-burnout.htm says, “Recovery from burnout is a slow journey; not a quick dash to some imaginary finish line. You need time and space to recuperate, so don’t rush through this process.”
The call here is to practise a rhythm of rest, like how we have a rhythm of drinking water. The end results then is my mind, body and soul stay hydrated. We do not want to get to the place of burnout, or moving in that direction.
As I write this I am entering a new season. I have recognized I need to work on a few things, to rehydrate in a few areas of my life.
Here are a few observations and reminders that have come my way.
- Taking a break doesn’t mean one is lazy or not valuable.
- Taking rest does not mean one is less committed to family, church, calling/work
- It’s really hard with a young family to continue to foster my relationship with my wife (spouse), but that is no excuse.
- We all need pit crews in our lives.
- Boundaries are our friend.
- I need to not do all the family house chores on my day off. Spreading them out over the week helps me rest better on my time off.
- Scheduling rest before the calendar fills up.
- God called me based upon him and not what I have done.
- I need to understand what recharges me. I am working on this one.
- 1 John 3:1
- God is at work in ways we are unaware of.
- Jesus is the greatest source of life giving water.
- The work will never be done.
- God gives us rest as a gift.
- God is in control.
I have lots to learn in this area. How about you?
What lessons have you learned in practising rest?
How do you do this with a young family?
What is God saying to you?
Depending on what number you circled in the above scale. What are two steps you can take in the next two weeks to move closer to living a hydrated life?