Rest, My Warfare by Lauren Brandenburg

I was overwhelmed, under prepared, in need of a break, and about to lose a battle that I didn’t even know I was fighting. I had come to the point where the components of my life that I once enjoyed were at war with one another making me mentally and physically ill—top that off with my daughter’s September 11^th diagnoses of a brain tumor—and it was no wonder my survival mode was shutting down.

Fifteen days after the successful removal of the mass, we were home and back to normal . . . no kidding! Except for what we like to call her unfortunate haircut, it was as if nothing had happened. I homeschooled, I wrote, I cleaned, and I cooked, but I couldn’t focus. My body felt like
it was crumbling. I couldn’t be satisfied. It seemed as if I was on the outside looking in at my life. But, I wouldn’t quit. I would not be defeated. With God all things are possible, right? I had children to school, a novel to release, and another one to write—the end was surely around the corner.

But then, it happened. On a Friday morning I stood before my kiddos and cried. The thought of one more week of routine homeschooling made me sick, so I declared early Christmas break. I took the following week to regroup, get crafty, put down the latest novel I was writing, and read someone else’s instead. I planned the rest of our homeschool year, straightened my house, and sat down to watch my favorite movies. I took a break—my own Sabbath of sorts—set apart to be a better me. I let go of the weight that I had been dragging around and allowed the center of my faith to carry it for me.

It wasn’t a battle lost; it was a victory—the bravest, most strategic move I could have made. I feel stronger, rested, relaxed, and a bit more organized. My declared Sabbath (a near three week break) has left me feeling more creative and inspired than I have in months. I have a clarity that I have not seen in a long time. I still have my battles, but I now know how to fight them! So, take a break! Regroup your army and adjust those battle plans! Allow rest to be your warfare!

Lauren Brandenburg is the author of Boone: The Ordinary and Boone: The Forgotten, the first two books in The Books of the Gardener. As a former English teacher and now homeschool mom, Lauren combines her love of the written word with her faith and desire to engage others in a Kingdom lifestyle. Lauren and her husband, Jamie, live in Williamson County, Tennessee with their children Kensington and Jackson.

Learn more about her Young Adult book series at The Books of the Gardener and more about her author life at Lauren H. Brandenburg.