As the semester picks up, things start to get a little hectic for everyone. Holidays are coming, which means planning trips to see family, and the always hard decision of whether or not to bring your new girl/boyfriend to meet them. School is really kicking up as we move past the introductions and into the real content. And as this happens, the busyness sets in. We have more deadlines and due dates. And we get sucked into the feeling of “rush, rush, rush.” Add to this things that may be going wrong in your life, or the lives of those around, and you have the perfect recipe for stress and anxiety. I write this for the sake of all who may be feeling the piling pressure, who by reading this may seek and find that rest that is not only available, but desperately needed.

The other day, I sat outside on my back porch swing. I had a chapter to read for my philosophy class, notes to study for neuroscience, a quiz to review for Senior Seminar, and several other things that all seemed to scream, “We are of the utmost importance!” Honestly, I was dead tired of it. I set my books down, opened a beer, grabbed a cigar that I had been saving, and walked out my door. As I sat on the swing, I took in a deep breath. For a few minutes, I just sat there taking in the beauty that nature seems to always display when we need it the most. The sun was about an hour away from setting, yet was already painting the sky in glorious pinks, reds, and oranges. I sat there for a good two hours, doing nothing except enjoying the cigar, beer, and my thoughts. I pondered only the good things within my life. I imagined my nieces and nephew growing up and becoming beautiful young women, and a strong young man. I thought about the beauty of the bird’s songs as they signaled the end of the day. I wondered what it was going to be like to grow old, and of all the changes I might face. And those couple of hours were so good! I found rest in the face of busyness, and was then able to enter back into it with a different state of mind. Being ready to face its difficulties. How we desperately need this!

And there are thousands of different ways to find it! Last week, I was able to meet up with some friends whom I hadn’t seen in a while. We talked about everything that was going on in our lives, and caught up with each other. And during our conversation, I just sat back and took it all in. Art can cause this reaction in me, as well. The cover photo is a picture that my friend Kenny took. And every time I look at it, it calms me down. It allows me to rest.

I find rest in spending time with my family, going out on the river, taking a walk around town, having that first sip of a new beer, the list goes on and on! There is no end to the good things that we can find rest in! But we must seek them out. They will not force us to sit in a chair and take in their beauty. They invite us to find rest in them. They ask us to put down our busyness, for just a little while. And if we don’t, they will leave - flicker away while we obsess ourselves with the things that matter much less. And then years later, we will wonder, What the hell happened to all those beautiful moments? Because as our lives progress after college, things will get harder. We will experience more busyness that will hold a higher level of importance: careers, spouses, and children, among the myriad of other things that will be vying for our attention. If we don’t start teaching ourselves to look for moments to rest, we will drown in our busyness.

Now, let me say quickly, I am not advocating laziness. I am not saying that we should forsake the things that require our attention. A lot of harm would be wrought by doing that. I am saying that in the midst of busyness, good things will come about and ask us to rest in them. Your friend from years ago will call you, wanting to hang out and catch up. You’ll see a sunset that destroys any concept of beauty that you used to hold onto. You’ll hear your favorite song come on the radio. These are all invitations to step back from the busyness. To rest. We must learn to accept their invitation. We must find the good things in our lives. They are there.

Photo by: Kenny Gonyea