I write this from the very comfortable setting of our New York apartment, stretched out on our dark brown couch with my right foot elevated by a pile of squishy cushions. Phillip has just made a pot of tea and there is a peaceful stillness over the place as we both take space to focus.A few days ago was date night in the Attmore household and Phillip and I went to see Miss Saigon on Broadway, an amazing and tragic show telling the story of a Vietnamese girl, who had been forced to work as a prostitute, and fell in love with an American G.I, getting pregnant by him before he returns to America. We were taking our seats just as the show was about to start, the overture filling the room from the pit, when I missed my footing and rolled my ankle really badly. The first half of the show was fairly agonizing for me as my foot throbbed from what I knew was more than just a twisted ankle. During the interval, my dear husband went on the hunt for an ice pack and for the second act my foot was bandaged in a homemade compress of ice and Phillip’s scarf.Now, four days and one Urgent Care visit later and I have settled into the roll of patient in our household. It turns out that I managed to incur a hairline fracture to my right foot so have been forced into a life of sofa sitting until it heals.In some ways it’s not the worst thing that could have happened to me, I get a break from doing laundry for a bit and haven’t even had to make my own cup of tea since as Phillip has been taking such good care of me! Some of my closet friends have even jokingly rejoiced over my injury as it has forced me to completely stop and rest, a task that has always been a little bit of a challenge for me.Rest.Living in a city like New York, rest can often be equated with laziness, as the currency of our society is productivity with a required outcome of success. But rest is actually space, a reprieve from our labours, stresses and work; it is relief or freedom, especially from anything that wearies, troubles or disturbs. It can look like a moment away from the desk at work, a good nights rest or a week away in the country, but rest is an opportunity for your body and mind to restore themselves from the onslaught of life.We often treat the idea of taking a break as a luxury rather than a necessity, something that we require every day, not only to function, but to thrive. When we carve out the time each day to rest, relax and breathe, we are giving permission for a moment of restoration.The biblical meaning of the word ‘restoration’ is to receive back more than has been lost to the point where the final state is greater than the original condition. The main point is that someone or something is improved beyond measure.Apparently, after a hairline fracture has healed, the bone is even stronger than it was before the injury took place. I find this to be true in lots of ways in life. When a part of us becomes broken - body, mind, heart or spirit - and we take the proper time to heal from our wounds, that part of us carries a strength that wasn’t present prior to the trauma. Giving yourself the space to rest and restore actually makes room for an upgrade, an improvement beyond measure.So I encourage you, from my suede sofa of comfort, take the time to rest today and not just for one day, but every day. Make room for daily restoration and I believe you’ll find strength abounding like never before!
Why It Pays To Rest
