The Art of Doing Nothing
Today is the last day of Camp Grandma at my house. Six lively grandchildren arrived yesterday for swimming, campfires, crafts, skits, and tenting on the back lawn with Grandpa and yours truly.
While I'm offline and indulging in laughter, I thought I'd share one of my top summer posts with you. Whether you've read this post before or not, I think you'll find it helpful. Enjoy!
The Art of Doing Nothing
Sometimes the most important thing you can do is nothing. As the great theologian Winnie the Pooh said, "Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering."I rediscovered the importance of doing nothing on my summer vacation—long days with no agenda, no obligations, and few phones. Endless hours included time to crochet and read mindless novels that provided mental rest and laughter. Lovely dinners cooked with simple food and glorious sunsets added beauty to the atmosphere of doing nothing.This was not as easy as it sounds for a girl who is very project and goal oriented. I never touched the little projects and books I had brought along with the thought I'd have time to work on my website or study for a retreat message. Every time I looked at them I heard the Lord say, "No."So nothing of "value" was done during vacation except:1. I rested—both physically and mentally.2. I had a great time with my husband who was also suffering from work withdraw.3. I found my creative juices slowly regenerating.4. I let the world be bigger than what I could control.5. I discovered that not caring about some things is a very important discipline.6. I learned that it takes several days to really get into the practice of doing nothing.Since Tom and I take Fridays as our Sabbath, the practice of doing nothing is an ongoing discipline—a spiritual discipline that provides a place and time to connect with God and each other.It's been two years since I originally wrote this post, and I'm still practicing the art of doing nothing. I'm a slow learner who needs lots of practice. Plus, it's just so much fun!Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day. I'll be back on Thursday, SusanYour thoughts? How do you work the spiritual discipline of doing nothing into your life?Related posts:How to Take a Break From Managing the UniverseHow to Harvest TimeI recently enjoyed Jane Graham's post on 5 Reasons Why God Wants You to Take a Vacation. I think you'll enjoy it too."Jesus likes it when we share." -Adelaide, age 3: Pass this along to everybody and their brother. OK, maybe not everybody's brother, but you know . . . all your friends would be nice.