In Little Moments: A Sunday Sermon

I was preparing to take a shower a few days ago and I could feel myself rushing. In the last year, I’ve developed a practice of advising myself to slow down and pay attention to what I’m actually doing. 

I noticed I was rushing through the shower before it had even started, so I slowed myself down — literally. I stopped moving so fast and I took about a second longer to do everything. I took off my clothes slowly and then decided to take the extra 2 minutes it takes to put music on. 

There was honestly no reason for me to be rushing. I wasn’t late for an appointment or anything. I just felt like there was so much to do and I needed to get it all done – now. 

I got into the shower and realized how tense I felt. I asked myself, ‘when was the last time you rested?‘ So I adjusted the shower head, and had a seat. I enjoyed the water beating against my skin and took a few deep breaths. I let myself rest and then came to this thought:

Rest (relaxation, break in routine, release, etc.)  isn’t only found in the big vacations or drunken nights with friends. We often look to the big vacations and mark dates on our calendars to go out and about or away for a week to unplug. Which is honorable and necessary and I advise we do it often. But what I noticed is, the best moments to rest are often found in little moments.

I can wait for the big vacations or the getaways but if I don’t let myself rest in some way every single day, those vacations will feel like a sip of water after a three day drought. I have to feed my soul and rest my body throughout my days so that I don’t spend an entire three day vacation or getaway trying to get a month’s worth of rest. 

So that is my message to you today, if this is not already your practice, take a few moments of rest throughout your day. And yes, you can do it. I don’t care what your circumstance is, you can do it. It doesn’t have to look like a 30 minute bath or shower. Maybe it’s 5 minutes in the bathroom breathing. Or a 10 minute walk outside. A walk to the mailbox. A 3 minute doodle on a piece of paper. A 7 minute listen to a favorite song. 5 minutes moisturizing your scalp. 3 minutes washing your face. Your rest and your release must fit your life and your lifestyle but if you intentionally look for a few minutes of reprieve, I’m sure you’ll find it. 

All of these small moments will help you rest and give you a break from whatever occupies your day and your thoughts. Try it intentionally for a week or so and tell me what you think. 

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