Resting.

I’ve been sick now for almost 3 months. 1 operation, 72 needle sticks (2 of which are still fresh even as I type this), and countless prescriptions later, I am still sick. The doctor I saw today told me to “go home and rest. Just rest and drink lots of fluids. What you really need to be doing is resting.” No magical prescription drug. No instruction sheet. I just paid some dude $50 to tell me to “rest.“

But HOW? I had bought all sorts of great books, had friends bring over movies, and, dare I admit, I had even taken a trip to Bath and Body Works to stock up on some aromatherapy goodness (my mom recommended it). The result: I have yet to read the books, I got board with the movies, and I’m allergic to the bath beads I bought. Go figure.

I had bought Donald Miller’s new book A Million Miles In A Thousand Years in hopes I would “rest” by reading it. The damn thing sat closed for 2 months. I returned it to Lifeway yesterday. When the Manager asked me what was wrong with it and all I could muster was “I just couldn’t find time to read it.” (If someone wants to buy me another copy and FORCE me to read it, I won’t be disappointed.  PLEASE! SOMEONE?!)

So my question is, how do YOU REST? What is the difference between REST and SLEEP? Share your thoughts.

How Do You Rest?

Most of you know I was diagnosed with Mono a few weeks ago. My doctor’s orders were for me to rest. Here’s what I have done so far to rest:

• Quit work: I’ve taken Medical Leave from Wachovia and Camp Bow Wow.
• Trusted others: Delegated Relational Ministry activities at Midtown to my (awesome) Volunteer Team.
• Quit cleaning: Let the house get dirty. I normally vacuum daily. I make my bed every morning before work. I dust and mop once a week. I have had to force myself to let those things fall to the side.
• Been served by others: Other people have done the cooking and run errands for me.
• Slept: Sometimes as much as 16 hours in one day.
• Said no: Cancelled meetings, meals and conversations over coffee.
• Reduced urgency: Let the e-mail inbox fill up and let my voicemail go unchecked for a while.

But even with all that, during the last three weeks I have found myself asking the question “How do I rest?”  Sure, it has been weeks since I have set foot in the office or gone on a business meeting, I’ve been less social and slept more than the average college kid does on a weekend day; but still, is this all there is to rest(ing)?

So now I pose the question to you: How do you rest?

Rest.

With two jobs, being highly involved at Midtown and trying to maintain a spiritual and social life, I stay pretty busy. The calendar on my BlackBerry is color-coded with work (Wachovia and Camp Bow Wow), appointments, meetings, church activities and personal time; most days it’s as colorful as a bowl of Trix.

Recently I have been feeling God telling me to “slow down.” So what do I do?  Keep going and add more. I’ve agreed to cover shifts for coworkers, come in early and stayed late at work, and worked on my days off, all in an effort to “get the job done.” Socially I have stayed up late with friends when I should have gone to bed at 10p and gotten much needed rest. I should have taken more time for myself. I should have taken more time to rest.

Now I don’t have a choice. Monday night Kent and Mikey took me to the Emergency Room because I was having severe pain in my stomach. I had been running a fever and aching all over all day. The original thought was that I had appendicitis or even hepatitis. Thankfully after a CT Scan, Ultrasound and a ton of blood-work, the verdict is: Mononucleosis. (AKA: Mono)

Rest? You bet! Looks like God is going to force me to rest.  WebMD says for the treatment of Mono is to:

Rest in bed. You probably won’t feel like working or going to school anyway, and rest is very important. Your symptoms will gradually improve over 2 to 3 weeks. You should be able to return to your normal activities within about a month.

To top it off, I also have a pretty bad ear infection too.

Yup. This is going to be rough. Pray for me as I try slow down physically and even emotionally and spiritually and REST.

Too Quick For My Own Good

I started moving way too quickly. I have thrown my walker aside as I can now get around on my own two feet just fine. But truth be told, I really believe that I am moving, doing, walking- whatever it may be, way too soon. Wednesday marked three weeks since the surgery. The only thing that I dislike about my doctor is that he didn’t give me a set list of do’s and don’t. You know, that list that says, “don’t drive for six weeks” or “stay in bed laying on your back for two months.” But instead he chose to say “Use common sense and do whatever you feel up to. You’re body will tell you if it can take it or not.” I think I might have overdone it. I need to rest. I need to do nothing but lay at home and take pain pills. Right?

Psalm 85:6

“Will YOU not revive us again, that YOUR people might rejoice in YOU?”