#5 Thawing Out

Lately I have had to learn a lot about rest. Filling up on warmth when things get cold out is not something that comes naturally to me. I would rather keep moving, working up a sweat until I need to shed a few layers to keep from burning up. The trouble with that is that this way of living is even more exhausting, to the point where you can’t fully recharge with a good night’s sleep. No, you have to take some time to recoup, to get inspired for the next leg of the journey. God has been teaching me how to chill out, and I wanted to share a few of the things He has given me. 

I don’t remember where I first learned about frostbite, but I remember one thing from all the lessons I have heard on it: you have to thaw yourself out slowly. A nice, warm room might be nice if you were just out sledding or made a mad dash from the car to the house, but when you’re really frozen, you need to be nice and slow about making changes. Otherwise it will be uncomfortable and you might see warmth as a nuisance, rather than your saving grace. But then, after a while, you can start to crank up the heat like you would a hot shower, feeling the soothing grace as it scalds your skin (It’s ok-we all like our showers too hot. You aren’t alone on that one.)

The point I’m trying to make is that you have to get it. Sure, forcing yourself to sit on the couch all day will make a difference whether you feel it or not, but rest should be enjoyable. You can’t fight yourself forever to make this work. At times you may even need to do a little less relaxing so that you can actually appreciate it. But eventually you will find rest that you enjoy, and you will find yourself welcoming your day to recharge. But this will come in increments. You won’t wake up one day and find yourself with a brand-new hobby that you are in love with. It all takes time.

And speaking of time, give yourself plenty of it. Not just because getting warm demands it, but because thawing out can actually hurt. You start to understand anew what cold really is, and perhaps how far you’ve fallen. Cold numbs us to the damage that is being done. It’s a survival tactic, and it’s a necessary one at that. But we need to start to counteract the effects. Otherwise, the damage being done may wind up becoming permanent.

Life isn’t easy. Sometimes, things get hard. But we have to pull ourselves together in order to keep going. And, as backwards as it can feel, sometimes we have to stop for a bit in order to be able to go a little further. If that sounds insultingly simple, it’s not because I believe that I have nincompoops for an audience, it’s because you all have one for an author. Sometimes, I get that near-sighted. I get cranky about every single second that I have to spend not pushing towards my goals. And I figured if I can have these struggles, maybe someone else will as well. 

So get a game plan together to start thawing out. Revise it regularly as you figure out what’s working and what isn’t. And eventually, you will be well on your way to a balanced life and a more productive journey. 

I pray that you can begin to thaw out and that warmth finds you wherever you go. That you see your end-goal, and that you hold firm to the belief that it’s reachable. And I pray that you never stop trying. Things will probably take more time than you’d like, but that’s ultimately the joy of living: in growing in patience and understanding of the world around you. Thank you for reading this post. I hope it has made a difference in your journey through life.

Until Next Time

May Peace be your guide.