By Kelly Carr

Rest . . . ahhhhh. That’s got to be the sixth love language, am I right? When you’re well-rested, your mind is sharper, your attitude is brighter, and your temperament is more at peace. It feels good! There are so many benefits, I’m tempted to skip writing this editorial and go take a nap right now. (But I won’t!)

God knows us inside and out and designed rest for our good. He knew it would bless our bodies, our minds, and our souls. It still baffles me that he, the Almighty, didn’t have a need for rest (not that he doesn’t deserve it), but he created it and lived it out anyway. That’s how important rest is to him—he demonstrated it for us. He asks that we take time to rest in his presence.

This week I love what people have shared with The Lookout about rest. Sean Palmer gets to the heart of the matter—rest means relying upon the Lord, and we struggle with that. Margaret Feinberg shares the way coloring can be used to dwell on Scripture and rest in God’s Word. (Bonus: we designed page 6 for you to try coloring as a Sabbath experience—grab a coloring utensil and enjoy!)

Resting in the Lord is a choice. There is always more we could accomplish. But God says to stop. Things can wait. Time with him and with the people he’s put in our lives is what matters. And that will bring a renewal that lasts longer than a to-do list and is more satisfying than the best nap.

Special note: After 25 years of writing for The Lookout, Bev and Phil Haas are retiring from writing the Home Life monthly column. Yes, you read that right—25 years of writing! That’s a lot of wisdom shared and a lot of questions answered as they’ve helped families apply God’s principles to life. We cannot thank Bev and Phil enough for their time and dedication to The Lookout and our readers.