Take the Day Off...



You may have noticed that yesterday I "took the day off" and didn't blog. I didn't even run. I just laid in the bed feeling bad for my self. The extra hours of sleep were nice, however I still felt guilty.

Why did I do it? Was it worth it?

My initial intention wasn't to sleep in. My plan as always was to get up at 4:50am to run, read and blog. Unfortunately none of that happened. I simply just laid in bed asleep.

Here's my excuse/non-excuse...

Last week I put in nearly 30,000 steps each day overseeing 150+ middle school and high school students at our churches Vacation Bible School. On Sunday night I stayed up late to watch the Preds and Pens game (Stanley Cup Finals, Ice Hockey), which didn't go in my favor. I may have even woke up with some pretty bad back and knee pain that would have prevented me from running anyways.

Again, not excuses but the reality of my week last week and why I "took the day off" yesterday.

I needed to "Take the Day Off"...

Today as I rolled out of bed, I knew this morning was going to be special.

I have been training for a 10k and thought this morning would be the perfect time to try it. I ran 5.5 miles in 50 minutes and could easily have gone another .7 and kept it under an hour. I'm really proud of myself right now! (Can you tell?)

That's not the point of this blog though...

MAIN POINT Below...

Yesterday I took the day off...it was a breath of fresh air and a well needed rest.

Do you need a day off?  (Be honest with yourself!)

Here's where it really benefitted me...

Normally when I run I leave when it's dark out and come back with it still being dark. This morning as I left it was still dark, however when I returned the sun was starting to come up. It was the most beautiful thing, watching the colors in the sky change over the hills of North Georgia as I came down the road on my approach home!

I needed to see that this morning. I needed to push myself a little harder and run a little further this morning. I needed the change in pace and scenery this morning, which was all rewarded as I sit here with a smile on my face writing this blog.

What would a day off do for you?

Most of the time when when we take time off for vacation or sickness we get back with even more work to do and more stress in our lives. Can I get an amen?

However, maybe that's a good thing. Maybe we need that stress to push ourselves to work harder and be more diligent. Maybe if we did that we would see something new. We would experience the joy of a new sunrise in our own jobs.

Maybe taking a day off is just what you need to catch the sunrise you've been needing to see in your life.

Make it happen! Take the Day Off! Maybe not today, but soon! Take it off and then push yourself harder when you return!

If and when you do, share about your experience in the comments below!

"By the seventh day, God had finished the work; he had been doing, so the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating all that he had done." -Genesis 2:2-3 NIV

We all need to take a day off every now and then. So do it!

Take the Day Off and Push Yourself Harder the Next! The Sunrise is in your future! Get up and see it!

"There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise of hope." -Bernard Williams

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