It’s the rest of the week and I want to give you something for those moments when worry/frustration/stress makes it hard to even want to rest—a nice little plant. Well, I guess it’s a P.L.A.N.T.
Notice that this is a PLANT—not a PLAN. You'll see why when we get to the “T”.
Pause
It can be very difficult to stop yourself from worrying, to walk away from an intensive project or long “to do” list, or to extricate yourself from a difficult situation/conversation. There is still so much to ensure, do, and defend.
But maybe you can press pause—pause for just a moment. It doesn’t feel as disruptive or require as much self-discipline as a hard stop.
A couple of my favorite times to use the pause button are when I lie down to sleep and my thoughts take that as a cue to keep me awake, and when I’m in a conversation that picks up speed and is in danger of flying off the tracks.
Let Go
One of the easiest ways to get in touch with unrest is to notice tension in your body and to let it go.
Notice, I did not say relax. Aside from the fact that PRANT doesn’t work as well as PLANT, most people simply do not know how to relax.
Often my patients complain to me, “I’m trying to relax, but I can’t.” To which I reply, “that is an oxymoron. You cannot try and relax at the same time.”
But you can notice tension and experiment with letting it go. Check your jaw, shoulders, neck, and your pelvis. Believe it or not, many of us hold tension in the pelvis.
If you tighten an area of your body and then let go, it teaches your body what letting go feels like and makes it easier.
Aerate
I like this word because, aside for the fact that “take a deep breath” wouldn’t work in the acronym, it reminds me of the time Ricardo rented an aerator and poked holes all over our lawn to improve the health of the grass roots by giving them more oxygen.
Oxygen is as essential to rest as it is to life—a good breathing exercise can actually change your blood chemistry and help you calm right down.
Notice & Name
Sometimes when our worries buzz around inside like pesky flies, or when a person/situation triggers frustrated feelings, we want to jump right into avoid and reject mode because noticing or naming our feelings/fears/defenses can be downright painful or embarrassing.
It can seem very spiritual to whip out the perfect Bible promise or speak positive words in hopes that the icky stuff will vanish—or that we’ll be so strong that we can just step over it—but the stuff we don’t notice and name for what it is (however bad it may make us/someone look), is going to stay right in there.
And God isn’t going to reach in and grab it—He’s kind enough not to force us—but to wait until we’re ready.
You may get better at controlling your responses, but superficial rest gained by exhausting effort will eventually wear you out.
And now for “T”, because this is more than a PLAN—it’s a PLANT
Turn
More than turning away from worry/stress/frustration, this is a Turning Towards—turning towards Light, Love, Forgiveness, Peace… turning towards whatever it is that offers a balm to your soul, an assurance of your belovedness—even in the messy process of maturing.
Pausing to let go of the physical tension, to take a deep breath, and to notice and name what’s bothering us put’s us in the perfect place to be comforted with the great and precious promises that God has given us and to take Jesus up on his invitation:
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:28-29 NLT
May your rest be sweet,
Alicia