How do you take care of yourself? How do you ensure you’re at your best when you sit down to write? That your mind is clear, your creativity is flowing, and you’re physically able to tackle the work God’s given you?

Honestly? Those questions make me a little uncomfortable. I tend to have an eye-roll attitude when someone mentions self-care. Caring for our mind, body, and soul seems so obvious, doesn’t it?

Or does it?

I entered August completely burnt out, though I couldn’t have told you that at the time. The last eighteen months have taken a toll on all of us. I shrugged off the sense of malaise and kept moving forward, kept working at full speed, though my spark had diminished. Significantly. But it would come back, right?

In mid-September as a vacation planned a year ago approached, I wondered how in the world I could take a full week away from work. What would I do? Where would I find my sense of purpose? And… Who was I that I even asked myself that question? Since when was my purpose wrapped up in my work rather than in who I am as a child of God?

Maybe a little self-care was in order after all.

I walked away from work on a Friday morning and walked onto a beach at Lake Tahoe the next blustery morning. I stood – wind whipping my hair, waves lapping at my feet – awed by the glorious display. Instead of sitting at my desk, I walked. And walked. And walked. When the winds calmed, I paddled my kayak along the shore as I listened for the voice of God in the ripples of the water.

I breathed. Deep.

And slept.

I worked a jigsaw puzzle.

And read.

Mostly, I did nothing. For seven full days.

When was the last time you gave yourself – your mind, your body, your soul – space? When was the last time you stood awed by the grandeur of creation? By the Creator? When was the last time you were still?

My spark is back, but it didn’t just re-appear. Instead, I had to stop. Walk away. And allow God to restore me.

There is a reason God provided, commanded even, that we rest on the Sabbath. There is a reason His Word tells us to Be still and know that He is God. It’s so that we, as writers, might bear witness with our words to God’s goodness, to the One who will be exalted among the nations, and exalted in the earth (Psalm 46).

We must plan for rest, for stillness, for those things that nurture not only our mind, body, and soul, but also our creativity.

We must ready ourselves to write words that bring His message to a world in need.