It takes courage to have soul rest.

Remember playing hide-n-seek as a child? The day I was meeting my friend, Trish, at Panera was a bit like that. We sat at opposite ends of the restaurant for an hour . . . while we both awaited each others arrival!

Sardines

Sardines is my favorite version of hide-n-seek. After finding the person who’s hiding . . . you crawl into their hiding spot and hide with them. The game continues until everyone is hiding together.

In my early twenties, I especially loved playing it as a camp counselor. About mid-week, my weary cohorts, and I, loved to play it because of the much needed break it gave us from the fast pace of the week. Trying to keep one step ahead of the youngsters all summer long, we were motivated to find the most obscure hiding spots.

If we hid in these areas it would take the campers a looooooong time to find us . . . giving us a de-lic-ous-ly looooooong rest.

It was a win – win game.

Adults Play Hide-n-Seek Too.

As grown-ups, sometimes we get creative in finding new ways to play ‘hide n seek’.Sometimes we pretend to be something we’re not. We hide behind social media, stay on our safe yellow couches, and live on the surface.

It takes courage for us to let ourselves be seen – truly seen. To let people know who we really are. To tell a trusted few . . . how and where we’ve been hiding.

Soul Rest

Hide-n-seek, sardine style, offers rest for the weary only while the hideout is secret. Soul rest, however, is not in the hiding. It’s in the telling of where we are hiding.

Truth-telling brings true rest.

It’s a win-win.

But, definitely  not a game.

Our personal truth is sacred and needs to be told to safe people.

Sometimes it looks like this . . .

Her pain . . . barely ‘neath the surface, bubbles up as we talk. This impromptu moment catches us both off balance.

> Me – not realizing what dilemmas I’m opening.

>> She – not realizing what agony still hides deep in her soul.

The conversation is far deeper than either of us intended. However, she finds a safe place to share her pain.

At times the sacred self-telling looks like this . . .

Having invited my brain-trust to reflect back to me what they personally understood about the Heart Working Women’s vision, one friend gathered among the six of us, spontaneously shared her genuinely difficult heartfelt story. The five of us empathically listened in as she openly shared her pain and redemption, and her need for more layers of wholeness.

As a professional therapist I’m well aware of the new depth of joy and soul rest one experiences because of courageous sharing. Furthermore, I experience it myself . . . when I’m bravely sharing in a safe place with safe people.

A Safe Welcome

Heart Working Women invites a safe welcome for this tender talk to surface.

Likewise, Jesus invites us to find a safe rest for our souls.

Hear His words. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29 NIV

Heart Working Women is an invitation to soul rest found in authentic life-giving relationships with self, others, and God. 

Learn more here and here.