What do you do with rest?
Does it make you anxious?
Do you go into “Martha Mode” and make yourself busy to avoid it?
Are you so tired that all you want is sleep when your world becomes silent?
Honestly, I’ve experienced all of these scenarios (on multiple occasions).
For a decade I served as Founder and Director of a faith-based nonprofit helping teenage girls recover from sex trafficking. Over 350+ girls and young women received residential care, education, job skills training, counseling, Christian mentors and hope to dream again. Launching a ministry was exciting, but at the same time, it was scary and exhausting. Countless hours were poured into developing, growing and sustaining the ministry from week to week, month to month. Rest did not come easy. In fact, I often wondered if it were even possible?! In 2017, I made the decision to resign. My children were approaching their teenage years and quite frankly, I was pretty fried! Anxiety, depression and restlessness had become a way of life for me.
After resigning, I escaped Charlotte, NC to the beautiful mountains of Montana where I stayed for four months with my family. It was there, in the cold of winter on Flathead Lake, I had to learn how to rest. I would sit by the fire, open the Bible to wherever my fingers took me, ask the Lord to speak and I would write. I journaled like a crazy woman with many tear soaked papers. Leaving the ministry was like a funeral for me. I didn’t see it then, but oh how I see it now! Many things had to die, in and around me, so that I could enter into true rest. The kind of rest Jesus promises us when He says “my yoke is easy and my burden is light” in Matthew 11:28. The kind of rest that you CAN experience, even in the midst of a busy work season, a tragedy, or stressful season in life.
How?
One word…remain.
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” – John 15:7
For the past several years I have been leading a business I founded called Flagship. We coach faith-based nonprofits on fundraising and development. My coaching services led me to connect with YadaFactor in 2018. I was blown away to learn that a ministry like this existed! Bringing people back to God’s word, teaching them how to hear God’s voice while using the Bible as their only curriculum, journaling and sharing in an intimate group of three sounded like something I could really get behind.
Since connecting with YadaFactor, I have been blessed to play a very small role in helping to expand their ministry. I believe wholeheartedly in their vision. I have witnessed the power of their simple, yet deeply rich ministry model, at work in the lives of many…. including myself. The leadership team has been a great source of encouragement to me and has always provided a trusted place to be transparent.
This summer, Debbie has been challenging us with the theme of rest. A few days ago I skipped out of work and took a day of silence and solitude. I was up against some work deadlines, but I felt God saying come…trust me with those deadlines.
Here I am kicking my feet up, reading, journaling and praying in Lake Lure, NC.
Guess what?
The deadlines were still here waiting for me the next day and everything worked out just fine. 🙂
Join me in praying to remain. It’s a battle we all face from time to time.
Emily Fitchpatrick
