Take the Holiday: When Rest Becomes Part of the Journey
Take the Holiday: When Rest Becomes Part of the Journey
By Angel, Founder of AMC Rise and Thrive
🌅 Welcome,
Friend
Welcome back to AMC Rise and Thrive. 🤍
Sometimes we need a break so badly that we don't realize just
how tired we were until we finally stop.
You know that feeling?
When you have been moving from one responsibility to another,
handling what needs to be handled, taking care of people, solving problems,
answering questions, remembering appointments, carrying the mental load—and
then suddenly you find yourself somewhere beautiful with absolutely nothing
urgent demanding your attention?
At first, it can feel strange.
Then your shoulders drop.
Your breathing changes.
You notice the breeze.
You hear the water.
And somewhere inside, you think:
Oh.
I needed this.
That has been my experience these last few days.
We have been swimming, walking along the beach, playing in the
ocean, soaking up the sunshine, and doing something that has become a little
tradition of mine:
feeding the birds. 🐦
And honestly?
It has been wonderfully relaxing.
💛
Sometimes We Don't Need Another Answer—We Need a Moment
Life has a way of convincing us that we always need to be
doing something.
Fix something.
Figure something out.
Plan something.
Work on something.
Respond to something.
Prepare for something.
Even rest can become another item on the to-do list.
I need to remember to relax.
😂
Isn't that funny?
We can become so accustomed to carrying responsibility that
simply enjoying ourselves feels almost unfamiliar.
But maybe that's why a relaxing day can be so powerful.
It doesn't necessarily solve everything.
It doesn't erase the bills, responsibilities, worries, or
unanswered questions waiting for us when we return.
It simply gives our minds somewhere else to go for a little
while.
And sometimes that is exactly what we need.
These last few days have been simple.
Swimming.
Walking the beach.
Playing in the ocean.
Watching the waves.
Feeling the sun.
Feeding birds.
Laughing.
And watching my husband get bitten by a fish.
Yes.
You read that correctly.
A fish bit my husband.
And I'm not going to lie...
It was hilarious. 😂
Then, as if the universe wanted to add another layer to the
story, we watched that same fish get swooped up by a bird.
Nature apparently had its own little storyline going on.
And somewhere in the middle of all of it, I realized
something:
I wasn't thinking about everything else.
I was simply there.
🌱 Why Rest
Can Feel So Difficult
For many of us, exhaustion isn't just physical.
There is a mental exhaustion that comes from constantly
anticipating what comes next.
What needs to be done?
Who needs something?
Did I forget anything?
What's happening tomorrow?
What problem needs solving?
What could go wrong?
That kind of constant mental activity can make it difficult to
truly rest, even when our bodies are sitting still.
We can be physically on vacation while our minds are still
working overtime.
Our body is at the beach.
Our brain is in the office.
Our feet are in the sand.
Our thoughts are running through the grocery list.
Our eyes are watching the ocean.
Our minds are calculating everything waiting for us when we
get home.
And that's why sometimes rest requires more than changing our
location.
It requires permission.
Permission to stop monitoring everything.
Permission to laugh.
Permission to be silly.
Permission to sit in the sun without feeling guilty.
Permission to enjoy something simply because it feels good.
There is a difference between escaping your responsibilities
and temporarily setting them down.
One is avoidance.
The other can be restoration.
And I think we sometimes confuse the two.
Rest doesn't mean we don't care about our lives.
Sometimes rest is how we gather enough strength to return to
them with a clearer heart.
🐦 The
Birds Know Something About Asking
Now, anyone who knows me knows I have a thing about feeding
animals.
Birds.
Turtles.
Fish.
Crabs.
If there is a creature nearby and I have something it can
safely eat, apparently I'm going to try to feed it.
😂
I make my family save bread scraps because I don't like being
wasteful, and over the years I've discovered a few things.
For example:
Crabs on the beach will eat bread.
Apparently, they do not care much for croissants.
I learned that through experience.
And birds?
Birds are excellent communicators.
Feed one bird and somehow the entire neighborhood gets the
memo.
HEY EVERYBODY! FOOD OVER HERE!
Before you know it, you've got an audience.
The picture I included with today's post is proof that Florida
birds are not shy about asking for what they want.
They will beg.
They will stare.
They will walk right up to you like they pay rent.
One time, they even stole my son's bag of grapes while we were
in the water.
I came back and couldn't figure out what happened.
Then I saw the empty bag.
And suddenly everything made sense.
The birds had apparently decided they were entitled to a
snack.
And honestly, I couldn't even be mad.
There's something about watching animals simply respond to
what they need that makes me think about how complicated we humans can make
things.
We need rest.
But we convince ourselves we shouldn't need it.
We need help.
But we hesitate to ask.
We need connection.
But we isolate ourselves.
We need joy.
But we feel guilty for enjoying ourselves.
Sometimes I wonder what would happen if we became a little
more honest about what our souls need.
Maybe we wouldn't have to reach the point of complete
exhaustion before admitting:
I need a break.
🌿 Even the
Good Trips Have Their Stories
Now, I don't want to make it sound like every beach trip is
some perfectly peaceful spiritual retreat.
Because it isn't.
A couple of years ago, we were at this same beach.
And I got stung by a jellyfish.
All up the side of my leg.
And let me tell you...
IT HURT.
It felt like electricity had touched my leg.
Then the area welted.
I couldn't even walk on it.
I had to sit there for almost an hour before I could put
weight on my leg.
And somewhere in the middle of that experience, my brain
remembered an episode of Friends where they talked about using urine for
a jellyfish sting.
So there I was, nearly yelling:
"Pee on my leg!"
😂
My husband was understandably not volunteering for that
particular assignment.
Instead, he brought me a water bottle filled what felt like
liquid gold. LOL
And yes.
I poured it over the affected area.
I don't regret it.
It helped me feel better in the moment, although medical
guidance for jellyfish stings can vary by species and location, so I'm
certainly not suggesting anybody use a television episode as their emergency
medical plan.
At the time, though?
I was desperate.
Eventually, my husband drove me back to the unit.
I took a hot shower, took two Benadryl, and went to sleep.
The mark took what felt like forever to disappear.
I think it was nearly two years before the scar completely
faded.
I certainly wasn't laughing while it was happening.
But now?
It's a story.
That's one of the strange things about life.
The moments that hurt us don't always remain painful in the
same way.
Sometimes time transforms them into stories we can tell.
The scar fades.
The fear fades.
The discomfort becomes something we remember.
And one day, we're sitting somewhere laughing about the
ridiculous things we survived.
✨ What If
Rest Is Not a Reward?
Maybe this is where I want to slow down for a moment.
Because there is something deeper underneath the beach
stories.
What if rest isn't something we have to earn?
What if it isn't a reward for completing every task?
What if we don't have to reach absolute exhaustion before
we're allowed to breathe?
We often treat rest like something we deserve only after
everything else is finished.
But here's the problem:
Everything is never finished.
There will always be another responsibility.
Another load of laundry.
Another bill.
Another phone call.
Another appointment.
Another problem.
Another person who needs something.
Another thing to fix.
If we wait until everything is handled before we allow
ourselves to rest, we may never rest at all.
Even Jesus withdrew from the crowds.
He stepped away.
He prayed.
He rested.
He understood that being constantly available was not the same
thing as being spiritually present.
So what if God is not asking us to run ourselves into the
ground?
What if He is also inviting us into stillness?
What if some of the most productive moments of our lives don't
look productive at all?
A walk.
A nap.
A conversation.
A swim.
A quiet cup of coffee.
A few minutes watching birds fight over bread.
A sunset.
A deep breath.
A day when you don't accomplish anything particularly
impressive but somehow feel more like yourself again.
Maybe that's not wasted time.
Maybe that's restoration.
🚶 Take the
Break Before You Break
There is wisdom in noticing your own signals.
You don't always have to wait until your body forces you to
stop.
You can pay attention sooner.
Maybe you've been more irritable than usual.
Maybe everything feels like an inconvenience.
Maybe you're exhausted even after sleeping.
Maybe you're constantly thinking about what needs to happen
next.
Maybe you've stopped enjoying the things you normally enjoy.
Maybe you've been saying, I'm fine, because saying
anything else feels like opening a door you don't have the energy to walk
through.
Those can be invitations to pause.
Not necessarily to run away from your life.
Just to breathe inside of it.
You might not be able to take a beach vacation.
That's okay.
Rest doesn't have to require an ocean view.
You can take a walk.
Sit outside.
Turn your phone off for an hour.
Listen to music.
Read something that feeds your spirit.
Take yourself to lunch.
Watch birds.
Take a nap.
Sit quietly with God.
Laugh with someone you love.
Make room for something that doesn't have to produce anything.
And please don't underestimate small moments.
Sometimes a ten-minute pause is enough to remind your nervous
system that you are not in an emergency.
Sometimes a little sunlight changes your mood.
Sometimes laughter breaks something loose inside you.
Sometimes you simply need to remember that you are a human
being—not a machine designed to endlessly produce.
❤️ A
Gentle Moment of Reflection
Before you move on with your day, take a breath.
Let your shoulders relax.
And ask yourself:
- Where
in my life have I been carrying more than I need to carry today?
- What
does genuine rest look like for me right now—not what does it look like
for someone else?
- When
was the last time I did something simply because it brought me joy?
- What
would change if I stopped believing that I had to earn rest?
- Where
might God be inviting me to slow down and simply be present?
You don't need to solve these questions tonight.
Just let them sit with you.
Sometimes God speaks most clearly when we finally stop filling
every quiet space.
🙏 Five
Affirmations for Rest & Renewal
I give myself permission to rest without guilt.
My worth is not measured by how much I accomplish.
I welcome moments of joy, laughter, and peace into my life.
I trust God to continue working even when I pause.
I honor what my mind, body, and spirit need.
📖 Bible
Verse
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
— Psalm 46:10 (KJV)
There is something beautiful about how simple this verse is.
Be still.
Not do more.
Not figure everything out.
Not solve every problem.
Not carry everything.
Just be still.
Sometimes we become so accustomed to movement that stillness
feels uncomfortable. We are used to planning, fixing, organizing, working,
caring for everyone else, and thinking about what needs to happen next. But
there are moments when God isn't asking us to accomplish anything.
He is simply inviting us to pause and remember who He is.
That is what I felt during these days at the beach.
I wasn't solving anything.
I wasn't accomplishing anything particularly important.
I was walking, swimming, watching the water, feeding birds,
laughing at my husband getting attacked by a fish, and enjoying the people I
love.
And somehow, in those simple moments, my spirit felt lighter.
Maybe being still doesn't always mean sitting quietly in a
room.
Sometimes being still means allowing yourself to fully
experience where you are without mentally rushing toward the next thing.
It can mean watching the sunset without checking your phone.
Taking a walk without turning it into exercise you need to
track.
Eating dinner without thinking about tomorrow.
Laughing without feeling guilty that there is still work to
do.
Resting without believing you have to earn it first.
Practical application: Today,
give yourself one small moment to simply be still. Put down whatever you are
carrying—even if only for ten minutes. Take a breath. Look around you. Notice
where you are. And quietly remind yourself:
God is here. I don't have to have everything
figured out right now.
Sometimes peace begins when we stop trying to manufacture it.
🎵 Song of
the Day:
“Holiday” by Madonna
Apparently, the playlist from my last post decided we were
having a very strong 1980s moment.
And you know what?
I'm okay with it.
😂
This song fits today's reflection because its heart is about
stepping away from the pressure of ordinary life and making room to celebrate.
Not everything has to be serious all the time.
Sometimes we need to put the responsibilities down for a
minute.
We need to laugh.
We need to gather with people we love.
We need to enjoy the good things while they're happening.
The song carries that feeling of taking a break from the usual
pressures and remembering that life is meant to contain celebration,
connection, and joy too.
And I think that's an important reminder.
Because sometimes we become so focused on surviving life that
we forget to actually experience it.
So, if you've been carrying a lot lately, let this song be
your little invitation.
Turn it up.
Dance if you feel like it.
Sing along.
Take a walk.
Sit somewhere beautiful.
Call someone you love.
Or simply close your eyes and let yourself breathe.
You don't need a special reason to enjoy a moment.
Sometimes the reason is simply:
You're here.
And that's worth celebrating.
🌼 Final
Thoughts
Maybe we don't need to wait for the perfect vacation to
experience peace.
Maybe peace can begin with a decision to notice what is
already around us.
The sunlight.
The water.
The laughter.
The birds.
The people we love.
The ridiculous stories that someday will become family
legends.
The moments that aren't particularly important on paper but
somehow become important in our hearts.
This trip has reminded me that life doesn't always need to be
profound.
Sometimes it can simply be fun.
Sometimes it can be silly.
Sometimes a fish bites your husband and a bird eats the fish
five minutes later.
Sometimes birds steal your child's grapes.
Sometimes you feed two gallon bags of bread scraps to a flock
of birds and realize that this is exactly what you needed today.
And sometimes you get stung by a jellyfish and years later
tell the story while laughing about how dramatic the whole thing was.
Life is messy.
Life is beautiful.
Life is painful.
Life is funny.
And somewhere in the middle of all of it, God keeps reminding
us:
You are allowed to live.
Not just work.
Not just worry.
Not just solve.
Not just endure.
Live.
Laugh.
Rest.
Celebrate.
Breathe.
Let the sun touch your face.
Let the waves remind you that everything moves.
Let yourself enjoy the moment without immediately wondering
what comes next.
And when you return to your responsibilities, return
renewed—not because everything changed while you were away, but because you
changed how you were carrying it.
May God give you the wisdom to recognize when you need to
pause, the courage to give yourself permission to rest, and the grace to enjoy
the beautiful little moments that are already woven into your life.
And may you remember that rest isn't always a destination.
Sometimes it's a moment.
A breath.
A sunset.
A song.
A laugh.
A walk beside the water.
A flock of overly confident birds.
And sometimes...
that's enough.
With love and gratitude,
Angel 🤍
AMC Rise and Thrive
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