By Kara Hallstrom
Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. Psalm 116:7 (ESV)
As I enter the 7th week of Capital Fellows, I can slowly start to feel the weariness coming into my life as a result of our packed schedules. At Capital Commons last Monday, John Kyle, the Director of Capital Fellows, mentioned how important it is to give ourselves rest, even though at times it feels impossible. Even though my responsibilities are rich in meaning and purpose, it is important to know when rest is needed. Rest is commanded by God for a reason. While hard work is admirable and beneficial in several circumstances, we are not meant to be constantly overworking our minds and bodies. Even though I know God’s directions are clear, I'm still figuring out how to balance rest and implement it into my daily routine so that I can feel refreshed and replenished in my weekly duties.
We were created to long for quiet time with our Lord and Savior. He has provided us with flawless guidelines for navigating this sinful, chaotic world. The Bible mentions several times when Jesus went off on his own to pray and connect with his Father. Jesus was God in flesh, and if He needed alone time to recharge, I'm sure we all do too. We display our faith in God by living a life that includes a sufficient amount of rest from work. It serves as a reminder to us that our worth comes from within, not from our accomplishments, but rather from His reflection in us.
If we are commanded to love the Lord with all of our being, we must take care of our Heart, Soul, Body, and Mind. However, what happens when we are shattered and drained? Can we keep the greatest commandment when we are running on empty? We require physical as well as spiritual rest. We must reassess our priorities when life becomes too crowded and manic for even small amounts of authentic rest. Having restorative days allows us to create a restorative life for ourselves, connected with the Lord through every season of life that we are in. Having even the smallest moments of reflection, silence, and reconnecting with our Lord can make such a difference in each and every hour of our days.
Pictures from the Week
It’s always Sunday Funday with my Kindergarteners in Sunday School!
Matt no. 1 and Matt no. 2
Making cinnamon rolls for our fellow fellows for class
Know a Potential Capital Fellow?
We are actively building Season Seventeen! If you know a college senior or recent graduate that would benefit from this program, please let them know about our upcoming informational webinars. About Capital Fellows. Capital Fellows is an advanced leadership and discipleship program for recent college graduates. Through graduate courses, a paid internship, one-on-one mentoring and many leadership and community service opportunities, fellows develop and apply their gifts in real-world situations while learning to integrate a Christian worldview into all areas of life. Capital Fellows is a unique opportunity to live and work in the Washington DC area and to be an active member of a supportive community that seeks to serve the city with the love of Christ. It is also a unique opportunity to get hands-on experience in the workplace while deeply exploring God’s design for us as workers and contributors to human flourishing.
Pray for the Capital Fellows
Thank you for praying for the Capital Fellows each week!
This week, the Capital Fellows will be meeting their mentors. Fellows and mentors meet 2X per month to talk about vocation, spiritual questions, relationships...whatever the fellow wants to work on. It is one of the ways that the Capital Fellows program seeks to break down the barriers between generations in the church. Please pray that these relationships would be special, filled with fruit and mutual love.
Want to pray for the Capital Fellows in an ongoing way? Download this handy prayer guide for your phone or tablet.
About The Fellows Initiative
Capital Fellows is part of a network of similar programs across the country. This network is called The Fellows Initiative. There are 34 Fellows programs in TFI, roughly 3,000 alumni living around the world, and more Fellows programs on the way.
If you know a church in the US or Canada that would benefit from joining TFI by launching a new Fellows program. Please contact TFI by visiting their website.
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