The Gift of Rest: When Life Presses Pause

#29

Photo by Omar on Unsplash

Dear Readers

For six relentless years, my life revolved around work. Hustling, grinding, always moving forward without taking a moment to stop. Rest felt like a luxury I couldn’t afford. Sure, I’d take the occasional week-long vacation, but it never felt restful. Even travel became another task on my endless to-do list. I was always on the go, endlessly chasing the next goal, the next accomplishment.

Then life intervened. An unexpected incident forced me to leave work for two months. At first, I felt defeated, as though something had been stolen from me. But as the days unraveled, I began to see things differently. This wasn’t happening to me, it was happening for me.

Before that unexpected pause, I was burning out, running on fumes. My body had been crying out for rest for months, but I ignored the signs. I was constantly getting sick, dropping weight, and barely eating. My clothes didn’t fit anymore. I’d take a day or two off to recover, but then I’d jump right back into the grind. I told myself that pushing through was the only way forward.

Then came my birthday month, a time I usually reserve for celebration, reflection, and fresh starts. But this time, it was anything but joyous. I was sick the entire month, so I didn’t celebrate or reflect.

I felt so disconnected from myself that I ended up writing a note in my journal: “I’m in no position to be in a relationship.”

At the time, it felt like an honest declaration of self-awareness, but looking back, maybe it was just self-pity. Funny enough, even now that sentiment lingers, but that’s a story for another day.

What I didn’t realize then is that the forced break I was so frustrated by was a gift. It wasn’t a setback, it was divine intervention. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “Everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will revere Him.”

At first, I resisted the stillness. I fought against it. But eventually, I surrendered to it. I let the quiet settle in. I let my body rest. Slowly but surely, I began to feel like myself again. My strength returned. My energy came back. And yes, even my pants fit again.

I’ve realized that we often equate progress with constant movement, as if the only way to grow is to keep pushing forward. But sometimes real growth comes in stillness. In slowing down. In giving ourselves permission to pause, reflect, and breathe. If we refuse to give ourselves rest, life will eventually choose it for us. And when it does, instead of fighting it, maybe we should embrace it.

So, to anyone out there feeling stretched too thin, exhausted, or stuck in the endless cycle of more, more, more, take a moment to pause. Rest isn’t laziness. It isn’t falling behind. It’s respecting the natural rhythm of life. Rest isn’t something we earn, it’s something we need.

Maybe this is the lesson I was meant to learn all along.

Until next time,

Khanya

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