Do you ever wish you could just slow down and discover who you’d be if your life wasn’t filled with so much rush?
The other day my friend told me she felt lost: lost in the hurry of carpool and kids, deadlines and dirty laundry… and she was tired, and I shared with her some things I’ve been learning through my friend Bonne Gray’s beautiful book Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest.
In, Bonnie shares how “underneath all of the stress and expectations we put on ourselves, and the ones that others put on us, our souls long for space to breathe.” Bonnie calls it “soul rest: a place where we can rest, not in what we could be or what we should be, but just as we are. Jesus invites us to come to Him when we’re struggling and carrying heavy loads, so He can give us rest.”
Today I’ve invited, Bonnie to share a peek into her heart and inside the pages of her beautiful book, Finding Spiritual Whitespace.
“I once felt lost and tired.
Even though no one could tell. By looking at my life from the outside.
But, deep inside, in my secret heart of hearts, I’ve always wanted something I could never quite keep a hold of — not long enough to make it my everyday home. For my soul and for the me that wanted to be free.
I’ve always wanted to know who I really could be — if I was free to rest.
Do you ever wish life could be different? That somehow you could just rest?
Underneath all the stress, the expectations we put on ourselves and the ones others put on us, we all long for space.
Space to breathe.
Space to just be me.
Where we can be real.
To take care of our hearts, with the grace and kindness we often pour out to others.
We don’t want to be numb anymore.
Just doing. Coping. Surviving.
All the while, there is a part of us that longs to come alive.
The part of us who longs for beauty, even though the daily road feels rough. Or even broken.
The part of us who remembers what it’s like to have desires is hungering for quiet. For rest.
Who wants to feel more intimately connected with God.
To our dreams.
To our stories.
To who we really are deep inside.
Who doesn’t want to hide.
Who longs to be known.
With others.
A Deeper Part
There’s a deeper part of us who longs to uncover the stories we’re living in our everyday lives — hidden — so that they can be shared.
We don’t want to journey alone.
We don’t have to.
What we all long for is deeper rest.
Refreshment.
Comfort.
Real conversation.
Encouragement.
Peace.
Beauty.
As is.
What we all long for is soul rest.
Soul rest is a kind of rest we can savor — not as we should be. Nor as we ought to be.
We can enjoy rest for our souls — as we are.
This ache for soul rest is something Jesus longs to touch.
It is an ache that Jesus himself must have also felt as He journeyed in-the-the-skin through the realities of daily life.
Jesus invites us to experience this rest — by offering us an invitation.
If we dare to take the journey.
“Are you tired? Worn out?
Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.
For I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Jesus’s invitation, Matthew 11:28-30
Will you dare to rest? Will you dare to be real?
To whisper —
I am tired.
But, I still carry dreams. Desires. A story.
I want to be happy.
I miss the quiet.
I want to feel.
I want to let go of who I’ve been — so I can discover who I can be — when I take the time to rest.
I want to be present.
I want to love. And be loved.
Jesus invites us on a new journey.
To pause.
To draw close.
To come into an intimate special space.
The rest we all long for really can be found.
Dare to take a new journey.
Create space in your life.
Feed your soul.
So you can care for what’s tender.
Because behind your most tired moments lie the deepest parts of who God made you — longing to be known and restored.
You’re loved.
You’re cherished.
You’re worth it.
The real you.
If you dared to rest — to uncover the real you God made — what would you want more of? What would you want less of? What can feed your soul today?”
How many of us find ourselves running on empty with no time for rest, no time for ourselves, and no time for God? Bonnie Gray knows what that’s like. On the brink of fulfilling a lifelong dream, she saw her plans shatter into a journey through painful memories and anxiety. In her search for answers, she made an important discovery: we all need spiritual whitespace.
Infused with biblical encouragement and thought-provoking prompts, Finding Spiritual Whitespace shows us how to create space in the everyday for God, refreshment, and faith—right in the midst of our stress-frayed lives. And it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time in my life personally. I’ve loved reading this book {more than once}, and I know you will too!
Order a copy here.
Enter to WIN:
What is one way you could carve out time for whitespace and rest this summer? Let’s take time this summer to let our souls be breathe. Click “share your thoughts” and leave a comment under this blog post to enter. Two winners will be selected and announced next week. {if you are reading this via email, please click here to participate in the giveaway on my blog!}
Bonnie Gray is contributor at Crosswalk.com, Relevant Magazine, and DaySpring (in)courage. A UCLA graduate, Bonnie has been missionary, ministry entrepreneur and Silicon Valley high-tech professional. Bonnie blogs at FaithBarista.com in Northern California with her husband Eric and their two sons.
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I would love to have this for my amazing daughter-in-law. She is such a strong woman and has just started her walk with Christ. She has had a very tough life growing up and we are truly blessed that God brought her into our lives. My son, who claims to be an atheist, brought her to meet us 3 years ago and the were married 6 months later. They have tried for 2 years to get pregnant and then in February they received the wonderful news that she was pregnant. Pregnancy was going amazing. Baby’s heartbeat was very strong and she was moving and jumping all over the place. At 4 months (18 weeks 6 days) Sophia Angel Grace was born into our lives. Unfortunately with being so early, she did not survive. My fear was by losing their baby it would cause them both to pull further away from God. But our God is amazing. Daniella has turned to God in every way! She has been a leader of encouragement and faith. Sharing her belief with my son and encouraging him to turn to God for strength during the weeks since Angel Grace was born. This Sunday, July 5th, Dani will be baptized and I know she will continue with her search and love for Christ.
I just read a story where the U.S. is in danger of losing it’s “AAA” credit rating as well. So if, eventually everyone loses their credit rating who has the advantage? Gold makes sense to me, because it’s not involved in the currency race to 0. (I’m not sure who’s in the lead for the race to the bottom of the toilet; but I would think with the U.S. &#l;u02stimu82s” packages, bailing out everything and everyone in sight, that they would ultimately be the winners/losers.)
I’m going to mountain hotel by myself Aug 4th
i am spending time on my deck in the early morning with my bible and journal. We have had a year full of change, disappointment and loss. I want a reboot, a fresh start – to really recover the joy of my first love with Jesus.
As a mother of 3 plus all those under my wings in our family ministry at church I help oversee I feel like I’m forever being pulled, pushed, listening, heart breaking for my students or plain busy with life!! Love reading this excerpt & looking forward to the rest of the book! Now how to find that space
I want to make sure that I don’t put too much pressure on myself in regards to my to-do list. It’s ok if I don’t get everything done on that list and it is also ok to relax!!
My 22 year old daughter just told yesterday she was trying to find a bible study she and I could do, separately but the same study. She is an ER RN working 12 hour shifts and I am a full time Secretary. I had just recently t told her we both need to make more time to spend resting with God. Although this is not a bible study it sounds like something I could use. I am trying to find more time every evening just to sit outside and listen to the birds, resting. Would love a copy of your book.
i want what you described. I.Am.Tired. I’m not sure how to make that white space happen. I’m praying.
This sounds like a perfect on time book, the Lord always directs me to the book in the season I’m in right now… I find myself struggling more to find this place of resting in Him. With a full house of guys, (two teenagers and a husband and a dog that demands a lot of attention.. Kinda like a baby.) I need the rest that He can only give… Spiritual rest!
With college and post college sons home this Summer, working long hours and opposite schedules and sharing cars, life feels a bit chaotic. My morning time with the Lord makes all the difference with how my day goes and my perspective on it!
Rest…peace…We all need this, and I am eager to read this book!
I am committed to spend more time in Bible study this summer and beyond. I am in a P31 study right now and on Tues nights at church.
I need to change my morning routine to meet with God. This is so hard for me.
I would love to have this book. I feel like I never stop. I am my Dad’s caregivers. It is the best job I could ever ask for, but I really need to take time and rest. I need to learn to do that!
One way I could find time to rest is to get lost in a book this summer. : )
This describes how I’m feeling–numb, disconnected from myself, longing to know God’s dream for my life, but feeling like I don’t have a clear direction. I know I need to connect more with God. This summer, I’ve been faithful to read my devotions and Bible study but I am doing that amidst the chaos of the rest of my family. I need to carve out time by myself to pause and be quiet and hopefully find that white space mentioned! I’d love to win a copy of the book. I think it would help me reconnect with God and with myself.
Coping. Surviving. The need not to rush. The desire for soul rest. I identified with this and more as I read. The words ‘Spiritual Whitespace’ in the title stirred my Spirit. It gave me hope that this book is an excellent tool to find the stillness I’ve been praying for. God you are faithful to answer.
I was intrigued by the title of your book, because I’d never thought of spiritual and whitespace as going together! I think this book would be perfect to give to my daughter whose double golden birthday is in 12 days! Please choose me to win a copy for her on this special day in her life. Thanks for the peek into an intriguing book!
I’m gonna try and get up before my kiddos rise and shine for the day, so I can spend that quiet time in the Word.
I love to get up early in the summer before my children bring the grands, my husband rises or either my mother or mother-in-law rise to spend time in the Word.
Wow this really hits home, I run at a crazy pace both at work and in my personal life. And I crave the rest that is promised in God’s Word, but struggle on how to acheive this in my life. Definately a subject that needs addressed and is very applicable today