Learning to Rest: When God Says “Be Still” (and You’re Terrible at It)

Miami is loud. Vibrant. Non-stop. I love it here. The energy, the sunshine, the cafecitos that keep this city running. But if I’m honest, living here sometimes feels like trying to pray in the middle of a salsa concert.

Now add two daughters with full-time musical theater lives after school, busy academic schedules in different schools, and me: an assistant principal trying to juggle lesson plans, student assemblies, parent emails, and the occasional “surprise fire drill.” My calendar looks like a game of Tetris no one can win.

And here’s the truth: it’s good stress. Blessed stress. Our days are full of wonderful opportunities, activities, and awesome people. But the result is the same: as a family, we don’t know how to sit still. We don’t know how to be quiet. Even our “family movie nights” come with intermissions for costume fittings, homework checks, and someone running lines in the kitchen.

Then came the wake-up call. Or, more accurately, the slow down call. Illness forced me to pause. Every doctor I saw basically sang the same chorus: “Stress is taking a toll on your body.”

And that made me wonder: what about my relationship with my Heavenly Father?

Because here’s the thing: rest isn’t just about sleep. (Full disclosure: I am terrible at napping. I lie there thinking about my to-do list and whether I remembered to put the clothes in the dryer.)

Rest in Scripture is something deeper. God Himself modeled it: “On the seventh day God finished his work… and he rested” (Genesis 2:2). And last I checked, my to-do list isn’t bigger than His. Jesus, too, slipped away from the crowds to pray, to be still, to recharge (Luke 5:16).

Biblical rest isn’t laziness; it’s obedience. It’s saying, “Lord, I trust You enough to stop striving.”

As Psalm 46:10 reminds us: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

So maybe my body was preaching a sermon my spirit needed: Sit down. Breathe. Be still. Enjoy the silence; even if it feels awkward at first.

The laundry pile will wait. The inbox will still be there tomorrow. My daughters don’t actually need a mom who can do it all. They need a mom who knows how to be present.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). I’m learning that rest is not the absence of responsibility, but the presence of God. It’s not about emptying the schedule, but about filling the soul. And sometimes, biblical rest looks like turning down the noise of Miami, the chaos of school life, and even the soundtrack of our musical-theater household… so I can actually hear His voice.

So here’s my encouragement to you (and to myself): Step away from the noise. Put down the phone. Go outside and watch the sunset. Laugh with your kids. Open your Bible and let God’s Word quiet your heart. Because He’s the only one who can carry what we keep trying to juggle.

Now, I may not be a napper… but I am learning that rest doesn’t require a pillow. Just a willing, and obedient heart.