Can You Rest Before Everything Is Done? Can You Rest Before Everything Is Done? The Question I Can't Stop Asking Myself

Most of us don't struggle to rest because we lack time.

We struggle because we've quietly made rest conditional.

I'll rest when...

...the dishes are done.
 ...the inbox is empty.
 ...everyone else is okay.
 ...I've earned it.

But what if that finish line never arrives?

In this episode, I share one question that has been following me around all week:

Can you rest before everything is done?

Together we'll explore the hidden beliefs that keep us striving, the difference between avoidance and restoration, and one small experiment that might help you discover a new kind of freedom.

Question Worth Carrying

What have you decided has to be finished before you're allowed to rest?

Stay curious. Keep becoming.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Welcome to the Freedom Camp Podcast, rooted in truth, growing in freedom, and built on the belief that you weren't meant to grow alone. Each week I'll share honest stories, insights, and simple questions to help you explore the unseen things that keep you from living in the freedom that's already yours. And take brave intentional steps toward the life you were made for. This is your space to reconnect with your authentic self and grow in freedom on purpose. Can you rest before everything is done? And I don't mean can you take a quick 30-minute nap. I mean can you actually experience peace, deep peace and restoration in your mind, body, soul, and spirit while there are dishes in the sink, laundry waiting, unanswered emails, projects still open, people who still need something from you, decisions that haven't yet been made. Can you rest before everything is done? Here's what I noticed. The more I paid attention, the more I realized I don't struggle to rest because I can't find the time. I struggle to rest because I quietly believe I'll rest when? When the kitchen is clean, when my inbox is empty, when everyone else is okay, when the project is finished, when I've earned it. And that little word when tells me that rest has become reward in my mind, not part of the rhythm. Yesterday morning, when I was working out in the living room instead of outside, every time I went down to do another push-up or plank or whatever I was doing, all of the things, I noticed the floor desperately needed vacuuming. And I noticed a few years ago, I probably wouldn't have worked out because the floor needed vacuuming. I would have vacuumed the floor first, and then I probably would have gotten distracted, and I likely would have skipped the workout altogether. But this time I took a deep breath and I finished the workout in the mess. And I figured I'm sweaty and gross anyway, I'm about to get in the sauna. Who really cares? And that tiny moment made me realize something has changed in me. So I'm curious what has to happen before you are allowed to rest? I encourage you to think on it for a moment, rather than just give the first answer that comes to your mind, only because that first answer may not encompass everything that there is. You may need to go a little deeper. One of the freedom campers shared something yesterday that I haven't stopped thinking about. She shared that she recently realized that the day where everything is finished is not here, and it may never come. And gratefully, the realization didn't make her nervous, it made her free. Because if that day is never coming, maybe our ability to rest shouldn't depend on whether it is or not. And as I've been thinking about this, I've realized that I don't think there are only two options: work or rest. I think there are three. The first option I'm well acquainted with, it is push harder, keep going, ignore the signals, call self-abandonment discipline, and push through. The second option, also familiar, avoid, scroll, numb, escape, and call avoidance rest. But the third option is recovery or restoration. This is the place where we stop striving, and the place where we give God the opportunity and the space to meet us, since He's already here knocking anyway. This is the space where I'm growing in freedom. And I want to encourage you to join. And I wonder if the thing that we're trying to avoid isn't actually the laundry or the inbox or the dishes. Maybe we're avoiding an emotion that is uncomfortable or difficult for us to feel. I've noticed when I'm angry, I don't want to feel angry. I don't want to journal about it. I don't even want to pray about it when I'm in the moment of feeling the anger. What I do want to do is clean, especially like a messy space, and then organize and clean it, like a closet or a cupboard. I want to accomplish something. I want to take entropy and chaos, aka anger, and I want to bring order and clarity to it. I don't want to sit quietly with what's actually happening inside of me. So I'm curious, what emotion do you tend to avoid? And how does that impact your ability to receive that deep rest, the kind that you feel restored and recovered when you're done? So I am trying an experiment this week. I'm going to intentionally leave one thing unfinished because I want to see what surfaces. And I want to practice resting and restoring myself in the midst of things not being perfect. And then I'm also scheduling time for a restorative activity, maybe some movement or some time in nature, a walk, maybe some alone time. And I'm going to experiment with what activities help me come back connected and present and more alive. And maybe you would like to try it too. So this week, I want to encourage you to carry this question with you. What have I decided has to be finished before I'm allowed to rest? I want to encourage you to not rush the answer. There are several assumptions even in the question. And just notice what comes up. Stay curious and keep becoming.