Word of the Year: Rest
Choosing a word to focus on for the year isn’t a new idea, nor a novel one. And I have picked words in previous years that mirrored either what I wanted to focus on or what I wanted to achieve. This year, however, was a greater struggle. I couldn’t seem to put a word to what I had been feeling the previous 6 months and I wasn’t sure what I was striving for anymore. I wasn’t sure what my goals were to be. But, I did know that I was tired. Bone-deep tiredness of my soul and of my spirit.
So, in order to not commit to something that I wasn’t sure about, I decided to choose a word for a month, based on the wise counsel of one of my mentors. And after a hurried and stressful 4th quarter, I decided to choose the word “rest”. The type-A part of me wasn’t ready to commit to slowing down for a full 12 months, but I figured I could “rest” for a month or two, and then I would be able to choose a word that is more in line with my personality, like achieve, grow, and learn for the remaining months of 2025.
I soon realized that choosing the word was the easy part. The hard part was the learning of true rest and putting the practice into, well, practice. See, I don’t do rest well. I tend to “rest” by taking a 50-minute nap on the couch while a Vikings game is playing, but I knew that those cat-naps weren’t what my spirit was needing. I also knew that a exotic vacation wasn’t on the menu either, mostly because we had just returned from a week in Mexico. I didn’t need spa days, to turn the notifications off on my phone, or to lay in bed and binge a new tv show.
So, I do what I do best, and I researched. I found devotionals that would help my daily posture to be one of rest, I bought books on what it means to “Sabbath” well, and I discovered passages in my Bible that I tried to decode to find the secret sauce. I quickly realized that there wasn’t one.
When that didn’t work, I did what any growth-minded adult would do and I went to therapy. When I talked with her about this idea, and the idea of slowing down altogether, I wanted for her to give me a 5 step plan. I peppered her with questions like “what does rest look like?” and “what do people actually DO when they rest?” and “how do things get done while in a season of rest?” She didn’t have all of the answers either.
Finally, I did what I should have done at the beginning and asked God what rest looks like for me. He didn’t offer me any audible message either, but I could feel myself start to rest. I started to walk without listening to a true crime podcast, I started to walk slower, I started to do things only for the pure joy of doing them. I started to learn that rest, for me at least, isn’t about zoning out from life and my responsibilities for days on end. It also wasn’t about sleeping through alarms and sunrises.
Here’s what I discovered about rest for me:
I need to slow down and be quiet. Nothing blaring in my ears - no music or true crime podcasts or audio books. Listening to the hums of the house when everything is quiet or the leaves rustling in the breeze on my afternoon walk is about being intentional and present where I am and not forcing myself to think ahead.
I need to live in a peaceful place. Our home is a peaceful place - my earthly sanctuary - in which I can be myself. But I simply don’t feel the highest level of peace available when things are left a mess. I love a clean kitchen and a clutter-free house. I notice when there are things to be done in front of me, I can find rest in doing them and I can definitely be restful when they’re finished.
I need to work out. Full stop.
I need to fuel my body well. Not 100% of the time, but a solid 80% helps me to feel my best. It’s hard for me to rest when I feel bloated….
Finally, and most importantly, I need to start my mornings being with God and continuing to draw myself close to Him. I need to read His Word and pray continually throughout the day. Starting with Him is the best start.
In the end, I haven’t mastered rest, and REST will likely remain my word of the year throughout the rest of 2025, but I am getting closer to understanding what it actually means.
Psalm 62:1-2
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
