I remember making new years resolutions last year, but I don’t actually remember them all. They are scrawled on a scrap of paper that is probably in the big box full of scraps of paper under my bed.
I know one of them was to write at least one snail mail letter a week, in defiance of facebook-style communication. I did ok on that one. I don’t think I sent one every week but some weeks I sent more than one, and occasionally I even sent surprise parcels, so I think that cancels out the bad weeks.
I also remember another one being to do more exercise (isn’t that one of everyone’s?). Enough said about that one…
This year I hadn’t really planned to make any. The week of new year I was wonderfully busy socialising and didn’t really think about it. Now it is two weeks in January, the magical snow has melted, it is still cold and rainy, and I am mostly feeling lethargic and lacking sunlight.
So here are a few things I have been thinking of today that I want to try and start doing more of:
Sleeping. I need about nine hours a night…
Baking. Such a de-stress.
Exercising. I know I know but this one needs to stay in here if the second one won’t make me look like a balloon. or I could make another resolution to make more friends to eat my baking – offers welcome. Also, I think my lethargy is linked to my lack of movement…
More time for crafting. My job is not exactly “creative” and I miss that. My mum lent me her sewing machine in October and I have yet to use it.
Meeting friends for coffee. This was (obviously) much easier to do before the full-time-job thing got in the way. But heart to heart chats over a lait russe energise me for about the next three days.
This month at The Well our theme is REST. And I am getting such a lot from it. Not just from our Sunday meetings, although those have been good, but from just thinking about it on a day to day basis.
Last night I got in from work with about half an hour before French lessons began and felt so in need of energy and some God-time but didn’t have the mental strength to do any serious study or reading. And I remembered Jen memorising Psalms over Christmas and thought I would too.
So I found *almost* the shortest Psalm I could (hey, I only had half an hour) and started memorising. Not unsuccessfully either, as I can still remember most of it today. And mutering the words to myself as I walk to my meeting in the rain, or stand waiting for the metro after
The point of that is that I am realising that rest is not just about setting aside time in the day/week/life cycle to rest from work (still very important – see the major theme of my resolutions above). Resting in God is about trusting him, enjoying him, believing what he says about himself, and about me, re-energising from time spent in his presense. And this is a permanent state, not just a once a week event.
Ok, long ramble over. Thanks for sticking it out if you made it this far.
