Rest, Digest, Reset.
Rest.
Not the nap-on-the-sofa kind (though yes, please)
But the deep, exhale-from-the-bones kind.
The kind that lets you stop performing long enough to remember that being human is
holy work.
Even God took a day off after creation, and He didn’t call it laziness;
He called it good.
Digest.
Not just food (though Christmas dinner does test one’s theology on self-control)
But digest the year, the highs that lifted you,
The lows that taught you,
The bits that didn’t make sense but still shaped you.
We scroll past moments too quickly
Maybe it’s time to chew slowly on what life has already served
Wisdom, it turns out, takes time to absorb.
Reset.
Because Advent is not a rerun of last year’s story.
It’s a system reboot – clearing out the mental tabs left open since March,
The emotional spam folders are full of “should’ve, could’ve, would’ve.”
It’s permission to start fresh, to sync your internal rhythm with something steadier than panic.
The philosophers would call it becoming present.
The mystics would say abiding in love.
But maybe it’s simpler…
Maybe Advent just invites us to pause long enough to be found.
Because the miracle of Christmas isn’t only that God came near,
It’s that He keeps showing up in the middle of our messy, overcaffeinated lives,
Whispering that rest is resistance, reflection is renewal, and resetting is worship.
So, light a candle.
Silence a notification.
Breathe. This Advent, let’s rest like it’s sacred, digest like it matters, and reset like we’re reconnecting to something we almost forgot we needed.
Selah – be still. Your soul is updating…
Share your thoughts
What thoughts and reflections surfaced for you as you read this beautiful Advent Ode by Shola Oladipo.
If you wish, share your comments in the space below.
As someone who is on a journey of resetting what her rhythm of life is, in the third act of her life; after a lifetime of unhealthy workloads, both in home and at work/ministry – I really embrace Shola’s expressions of taking oneself “offline” (off the treadmill, out of the rat race, etc.). I’m practising. Hope I am able to make this a holy habit for the rest of my earthly life.
Amen to that, Kathy – I love that phrase ‘holy habit’. Wishing you a healthy Advent.
My daughter once commented that my brain has too many tabs open, so thankyou for the reminder to press that reset button, and for the gentle whisper that rest is resistance.
Thank you for sharing your response, Katherine – we wish an Advent with fewer tabs open!
True wisdom – bless you Shola
I needed this today, but still struggling with the permission to stop, trying to embrace self compassion but I talk a better game to others. I’ll keep trying.
It’s so hard isn’t it, Heather – thank you for sharing this. I’m sure more than a few of us can relate!
Yes, this is a tough one. I have to tell myself to practice what I preach. And I sometimes ask others to tell me what I need to hear. Community helps so much
Really thought provoking. A reminder to press the reset button from time to time.
Yes, it’s a great reminder!
thank you for this helpful and timely reflection
Wonderful, thank you very much. I shall share this with my congregation this week.
“Selah – be still. Your soul is updating…” I love this. I think of how often I have to wait for apps or updates to load on my computer or phone in the course of my work week, often at times that are the least convenient! This is such an important reminder that it’s ok to take a pause myself.
What an incredible message today! I truly loved this reflection as it spoke directly into how I have experienced this year. It confirmed for me a longing that has been in my heart all these months, that it’s ok to pause, it’s ok to breathe, it’s ok to rest and it’s essential to reset. Thank you SO much!