It’s a beautiful thing to look at the calendar and in the midst of all the appointments, meetings, and to-dos, see a tiny stretch of time where absolutely nothing is scheduled and nothing is expected. That’s what my calendar looks like for this coming week, thanks to the holiday, and I could not be more grateful. It’s been a wild month, and this girl (and her hubby) need some serious down time. Anyone else with me?
In this household, we’re referring to the four-day weekend ahead as ‘grace days,’ as we will bask in the grace of quality time spent at home and receive the grace of rest, relaxation, and peace that this ‘time out’ affords. Rarely do we get an opportunity to just be at home with nothing in particular planned, so that’s why this year, we’re being intentional in simply being present and making the most of the ‘whitespace’ God has provided, in whatever ways seem most appropriate for our mental health and overall well-being.
So what do ‘grace days’ look like? Well, for us, it looks like home-cooked meals, inviting friends and family over to chill out and celebrate the season; drinking coffee (or hot cocoa, in my hubby’s case) and setting up the Christmas tree the morning after Thanksgiving; hanging out in our pjs and reading a book or watching a movie; taking time to do the things we love, whether it’s writing, chopping wood, working out, or even just enjoying a nap in the middle of the day. It basically looks like doing whatever we feel we need to do in order to get the fuel and rest our souls are desperately craving by allowing ourselves permission to let go of the ‘have tos’ and grab on to the ‘get tos.’ It’s essentially self-care at it’s finest.
For a girl who lives every day by a pretty rigid schedule, with specific goals and daily tasks to accomplish, this opportunity to just ‘be’ is a welcome change of pace. While lists and goals are wonderful things, sometimes they can add a great deal of undue pressure and stress, and for someone like me who tends to run more anxious and high-strung than others, we must constantly remind ourselves that grace is ours for the taking – that it requires nothing of us, except a heart surrendered to its reception. And I, personally, am realizing that I need to give and receive more grace in the course of my days, weeks, months, and life altogether. Doing and going, hustling and bustling take the wind right out of my sails, and also negatively impact others around me, if I don’t balance these required activities with rest and time to do the things that make my spirit soar. I’m learning that it’s the time spent doing nothing in particular that are often the most life-giving times for me.
So, after three days of work and Thanksgiving meal preparations, I am thoroughly looking forward to embracing four days of grace and enjoying whatever God puts in our hearts to do with the time off He has given us. I hope and pray to feel inspired, refreshed, and renewed following this break and to move into the Christmas season in joy and peace.
Wishing all of you the same, friends, along with many blessings, much grace, and a very Happy Thanksgiving, indeed!
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