friday five: charging!

Sally at RevGals writes: This afternoon Tim and I are setting off to explore the countryside around our new home, I always find that walking in the fresh air away from phones and e-mails recharges me. But that is not the only thing that restores my soul, so do some people, books, pieces of music etc....

So I wonder what/ who gives you energy?

1. Is there a person who encourages and uplifts you, whose company you seek when you are feeling low?
My Mom! She is wonderful at affirming people, has great insights, and is just plain old good company.

2. How about a piece of music that either invigorates or relaxes you?
Celtic music absolute puts my soul at peace. If I need cheering or quieting, this music weaves its way into my being and works whatever magic is needed.

3. Which book of the Bible do you most readily turn to for refreshment and encouragement? Is there a particular story that brings you hope?
I don't know that I turn to scripture for refreshment or encouragement so much, but I do go to the psalms when I need to return my compass to God. I read them out loud, which never fails to move me to tears, and in those tears I find the Holy Spirit. I may not feel better, but I certainly feel better connected.

4. A bracing walk or a cosy fireside?

5. Are you feeling refreshed and restored at the moment or in need of recharging, write a prayer or a prayer request to finish this weeks Friday Five....
I'm fostering a litter of orphaned puppies for a couple of weeks, and at the moment I have one of them in my lap. I find that very relaxing! Caring for the pups takes up some time, but nurturing them and caring for them is a joyful thing for me, and restorative.

refreshment

radiates refreshment

Raspberries * Red * Religion * Rest * Rivers * Roses * Rain * Raindrops * Relatives * Respect * Radio * fried rice * Relationships * Random acts of kindness * Road trips * Recreation * Romance * Redemption * Relaxation * Roadside stands * Returning home * Reunions

There's a pass leading to (or returningn from) the highlands of Scotland known as Rest and be Thankful. I suspect its name derives from having put the worst of travel behind one heading from the mountains toward the less arduous country of rolling hillsides and plains, and taking a moment to appreciate the victory. Whatever its origins, however, I am taking a moment to be thankful for rest.

There are different types of rest, of course. It can come in the form of relaxation, recovery, renewal and restoration, or simply taking a pause from what typically occupies us to pay attention to a singular opportunity or shift to something different.

One of the things I love about road trips is the spontaneous adventures that can occur. Roadside stands are just such a break from the hum of tires on pavement and the confines of a vehicle. I can recall when Ken and I were making a trip to Connecticut and a construction detour in Pennsylvania took us from the gentle curves of the interstate to the twists and turns of a country road. We came upon a roadside stand and stopped, not because we needed produce, but because it was an opportunity to take in the work and labor of another's world, and to appreciate the common ground of tomatoes and corn and the diversity of indigenous crops.

The stop along the road also broke the monotony of a lengthy trip, provided us with fresh grist for conversation and renewed road-weary bodies from sitting in the same position for hours. It also provided us with fruit, a welcome change from the usual carb-heavy snacks that accompany us on our travels.

Renewal comes in many forms, and can be found as close at hand as mindful breathing. A break from anything offers us a shift away from the ordinary and a glimpse into another world. While taking a neighborhood walk we can consider the landscaping of a home or a toy left in the yard from a child's romp; while driving we can imagine the journey of the passenger in the next car; at the computer we can follow a link to almost anywhere. When we return to our own world and environment we come back to a difference place from the one we left because our own world has been expanded, informed, touched. The time away, be it seconds or days, offers a reprieve from the grind that is our routine, and renews us even as we may expend energy.

We rest. We breathe. We find renewal.