Torquay

One of the most restful, relaxing days since I have been here has been at a beach called Torquay. It is absolutely beautiful, the gateway to the Great Ocean Road, and such a nice place to get away for the day at just a 1.5 hour drive. We took the Spring Break girls here on our last day with them and they loved it too.

I have been trying to learn more about what it means to rest, for me specifically.

"Thus says the Lord: 'Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.'" Jeremiah 6:6

I think I have always thought a good day of rest was one in which I spent lots of time laying around, probably watching lots of tv or reading a good book, maybe taking a nap. While these things are occasionally really restorative rest for me, more often they are not. As we studied some verses about rest in our staff devotional last week, I hunted for a few more, and this one stuck out to me just because it is so active, but still restful. He is walking the good path and finding rest along the way.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28

So when we went to Torquay, I was desperately in need of REST. That week had been not only one of the most physically draining, but also spiritually I felt used up and tired. I worked straight from Wednesday morning until Friday late at night with only breaks to sleep. Seriously, it was bad. When I got to Saturday morning, I was dreading the whole day of "work" taking the spring break on a sight-seeing day and just entertaining them. I thought it would be draining when I was looking ahead to a packed Sunday and then another work week starting...without a weekend.

When we got out of the car and walked up over this hill to the beach, I was literally just PRAISING the Lord for rest that it gave my soul. I was able to take a walk and just process and think about how I was doing and what God was trying to teach me through these periods of work without rest. Then I just soaked in the views and it proved to be a truly restorative day and Sunday ended up being great too even though I figured I would be super tired. God can restore us so well through his beauty, through HIM, can't he?