It’s Okay to Rest

It’s okay to rest. Those words felt foreign to me once. I used to believe pushing harder made me stronger. But rest? I thought it meant failure. I was wrong.

There was a time when I didn’t rest. Each morning, I got up, showered, dressed, said a quick prayer, maybe read a scripture, and then I was off. I woke my kids up, got them ready, dropped them off, ran errands, and tackled whatever assignments came from my kids, my husband, or my parents. The house never stayed clean. The dishes didn’t either. Laundry somehow still ended up on the bathroom floor. Even after cleaning the bathroom every morning — it never seemed to smell or look like it.

There was always work. It was never finished.

How I Burned Out Trying to Do It All

I was a student, too — studying full-time while working at a middle school, caring for my mother, and running a household. I thought I could carry it all. Pushing harder felt like the right thing to do. However, my body was speaking.

“You have an irregular heart rhythm.”

During medical assistant training, I ran a test on myself with the EKG machine. Something looked off. My instructor ran it again — twice. Her words were serious. I had felt it for a while — but ignored it. When I explained how busy I was, how I didn’t even have time to study, she gave me advice I’ll never forget:

“If you don’t get control over your life, the stress will kill you.”

She was right.

The Diagnosis That Changed My Life

I went to the doctor — finally. From that moment, everything shifted. I had abnormal heart readings, dangerously high blood pressure, and immediate hospitalization. Diagnosis: Heart Failure.

“You need to rest. Stop everything. Stay off your feet. No walking, no workouts. Your life depends on it.”

Even though I had lost weight, the damage was already there. Years of pushing, staying up too late, and worrying about everything and everyone — it had caught up to me.

As I sat in that hospital bed, I realized something painful: I had never given my body the care it deserved when it was well.

Letting Go to Save Myself

That was when I made the decision to stop everything. I left the job. I stepped back from trying to control every outcome. I let people start doing for themselves. The only task I kept was my caregiver work — because it was personal. In time, I started my own business — on my terms.

The difference now? I rest. I don’t let it all crash on me. I let folks be themselves. I allow my kids to make their own mistakes. I teach them to cook, clean, and take responsibility. As a result, I’ve learned how to give myself a break.

And I’m here to tell other moms, wives, and women like me: If you keep putting everything and everyone before yourself — your body will eventually put you down. You’ll pay for it dearly.

Biblical Truth: Rest Is a Command, Not a Luxury

Rest isn’t a reward. It’s part of the design. God built it into the beginning. Into the law. Into grace. And He’s calling you now — to breathe, to be still, and to heal.

Genesis 2:2–3
“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy…”

Mark 6:31
“Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’”

Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Psalm 127:2
“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.”

Hebrews 4:9–10
“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God… anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.”

There’s a rest that comes from faith — trusting God and surrendering control.

Practical Next Steps

If you’re tired — stop. Don’t wait for the hospital to do it for you. Breathe. Stretch. Sit down. Let your kids do the dishes. Let your spouse handle their own needs. Be still. You don’t need to earn your rest. You need to honor it.

💡 For more on how rest impacts your health, read this article from Healthline.

🕊️ Explore my post on giving in secret — another way rest shows up in obedience and quiet strength.

👉 Click here to leave a review or encouragement.

© 2025 ICEALEN™ LLC. All rights reserved. This post is the property of Tired But Thriving™ (tiredbutthriving.com) and may not be copied, reproduced, or distributed without written permission.
Tired But Thriving™ and ICEALEN™ are trademarks of ICEALEN™ LLC.