Raydeane Owens: You are here

I love to travel to new places and experience new things. The first thing I do when I reach an unfamiliar destination is find something with directions to get my bearings. You know those maps - the ones that give a bird’s eye view of your surroundings and then have a red dot with an arrow that says, “You are here”?

I think this concept is important in our everyday lives as well - spending time resting, assessing, remembering, reevaluating, reflecting on our environment and where we are in relation to it.

Rest and reflection is kind of a lost art. We live in a fairly noisy, busy world, perhaps so much so, that some of us are uncomfortable with quiet and “white space.” It’s possible there are some things we would rather not think about or rehearse. If we just keep them up in an “iCloud” of sorts, we won’t have to deal with it. But it never works that way. Our brains are wired for remembering. To deny events, experiences and relationships we have encountered is to deny parts of ourselves.

I wonder, if our busy, noisy lives have led to the pandemic of depression and anxiety and to the overuse of painkillers that are deadening beyond physical pain. What if the answer to these cultural crises is rest and reflection; looking honestly at painful places and faces as an outward act of courage? Some things are unfixable, and that’s okay. Just because something ends does not mean it is broken.

Winter is upon us in North Idaho. We are forced to slow down because of very real circumstances (like snow and ice!). But what if we were to use this season to our advantage? What if we took some time, adjusted our schedules, and made room for our bodies and minds to rest? What if the key to integration is meditation?

Did you know, scientifically, our brains work through problems and situations while we sleep? That’s where the term, “sleep on it,” came from. Our brains do their best work while we are sleeping. I would put money on the concept that we function at a higher level when we are “at rest” within ourselves, as well.

Give it a whirl this holiday season; I will too.

“So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God.”

Hebrews 4:9

Blessings & love,

Raydeane