When Life Hands You Lemons……Rest by Dr. Potter’s amazing wife
Rest. It’s such a nice word. It’s such a popular concept. But, why does it seem so elusive? In our frenetic culture, the rest is often talked about but seldom practiced. Then, there is that all too pervasive human tendency to fear and fret- even when sitting still. Rest can be so easy to talk about and so hard to find.
“Looking for rest in all the wrong places” could be a refrain for our day. Some try to find it in the latest diversion. Some look for it at the Spa. Some look for it in the next vacation. The list goes on. I would counter, though, that very few of us actually find true rest in these places.
I believe the Song in Psalm 131 may encompass the meaning of true rest.
“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up;
my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.”
Psalm 131 (ESV)
This short but poignant Song refreshes my soul with the image of a quiet mother and child. I have the assurance that I don’t need to figure it all out or have every why answered before rest comes. Even when the lemons are in abundance, my soul can REST because its HOPE is sure. Rest is not as elusive as I once thought- even when tart times persist.
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
