Grab yourself a cup of coffee and settle in, friend.
Because I need to tell you something I never thought I’d say:
I’m taking a break from writing.
There. I said it.
And honestly?
It feels a little strange.
For years, writing has been woven into the fabric of my life. Characters follow me around. Plot twists show up while I’m washing dishes. Murder weapons have a terrible habit of appearing during completely innocent conversations.
And don’t even get me started on the number of times I’ve thought, “Ooooh… that would make a great mystery!” when absolutely no one else in the room understood why I suddenly needed to grab my phone and make a note.
Writing has been a gift.
A wonderful, messy, occasionally sleep-stealing gift.
But lately, I’ve felt God asking me to set it down for a little while.
Not forever.
Just long enough to remember something important.
I don’t want to be so busy creating that I forget my Creator.
Oof.
That one hurts a little.
Because it’s very easy to convince ourselves that we’re doing something for God when we’re actually doing something without spending much time with Him.
I can write Christian stories.
I can talk about faith.
I can encourage other people.
I can fill notebooks with ideas about hope, redemption, courage, and second chances.
But none of those things can replace sitting quietly with the One who gives me those things in the first place.
And maybe you’ve experienced something similar.
Maybe you’re not a writer.
Maybe you’re a mom.
A teacher.
A business owner.
A caregiver.
A volunteer.
A person with a calendar so full that you need a calendar to keep track of your calendar.
You love what you’re doing.
You believe it’s important.
And yet somewhere along the way, you’ve become tired.
Not just physically tired.
Soul tired.
So what if rest isn’t falling behind?
What if rest is obedience?
What if the pause isn’t punishment?
What if it’s an invitation?
I’ve been thinking about the story of Elijah.
After doing something enormous for God, Elijah ended up exhausted, discouraged, and hiding.
And do you know what God did?
He didn’t immediately hand Elijah another assignment.
He let him sleep.
He fed him.
He cared for him.
And eventually, He spoke to him.
There’s something incredibly comforting about that.
God wasn’t disappointed that Elijah needed rest.
He knew exactly what Elijah needed.
And sometimes I think we forget that God created us with limits.
We aren’t machines.
We aren’t supposed to produce endlessly.
We aren’t required to prove our worth by how much we accomplish in a day.
Even Jesus stepped away from the crowds to pray.
If Jesus made room for solitude, perhaps I can give myself permission to do the same.
So I’m stepping away.
I’m going to put down the deadlines.
I’m going to let the characters wait patiently for me.
I’m going to resist the urge to turn every quiet moment into a marketing opportunity.
And I’m going to get reacquainted with my Creator.
Not as an author.
Not as a business owner.
Not as a mom trying to keep all the plates spinning.
Just as His daughter.
I want to read Scripture because I need God—not because I’m looking for a verse to put in an email.
I want to pray without turning my prayers into a to-do list.
I want to take walks and notice the sky.
I want to laugh.
I want to rest.
I want to remember what it feels like to simply be with God.
And maybe, somewhere in all that quiet, I’ll discover that the stories aren’t gone.
Maybe they’ll simply be waiting for me.
Because God isn’t asking me to abandon the gifts He’s given me.
He’s reminding me Who gave them to me in the first place.
And perhaps that’s the blessing hidden inside a pause.
Sometimes God doesn’t close the door.
Sometimes He simply asks us to stop running through it long enough to take His hand.
Psalm 46:10 says:
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Be still.
Not be productive.
Not be impressive.
Not be useful.
Just…
Be still.
So that’s what I’m practicing.
I’m going to be still.
And I’m going to trust that the world will keep spinning even if I don’t keep producing.
I’m going to trust that my books don’t need me every minute of every day.
I’m going to trust that God can take care of the things I cannot.
And I’m going to trust that when the time is right, He’ll show me what comes next.
Maybe it’ll be another mystery.
Maybe it’ll be a new story I never expected.
Maybe it’ll simply be another season of learning how to sit quietly with Him.
For now, I’m okay with not knowing.
Because I’m discovering something beautiful:
Sometimes the greatest adventure isn’t writing the next chapter.
Sometimes it’s letting the Author of our lives write it.
So grab your coffee, friend.
Take a deep breath.
Put down whatever you’re carrying for just a minute.
And if you’ve been running on empty, maybe ask God whether He’s inviting you to rest, too.
You might be surprised by what you find in the quiet.
And who knows?
Maybe I’ll see you there.
With a Bible in one hand…
and a cup of coffee in the other.
Until next time,
Keep looking for the fingerprints of God in the ordinary.
Because even when we’re resting…
He’s still writing.
PSST! Over here!!!
I didn’t decide to rest on my own. I had help. God sent me an amazing writing mentor and a faithful encourager. She has a great course that helps refocus even the most bewildered and bedraggled writer… like me. At the time of this posting, I’m not an affiliate of her course. BUT I LOVE IT, and CANNOT recommend it highly enough. Check it out at the link below.