Radical Rest in Nature and Unplugged

On Sunday we heard a message about “Radical Rest” with an emphasis on how to build into our lives time for renewal. A platypus was mentioned so if you missed the message, go to the City Church youtube page here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwFKHq_m8dM.

3 days before hearing this message, I had completed a 5 night camping and hiking get-a-way. The first two nights we had cell signals but the last 3 nights we had no signal and had to be completely unplugged.

Talk about Radical Rest. No checking social media, emails or text updates from friends and family. No streaming shows on our phones.

The walk-in no reservation campground we were in also had a lot of distance from each individual campsite. We didn’t even hear other people talking and there was NO amplified music.

Our soundtrack was a rushing creek, wind blowing through the tall pines, birds and the occasional airplane flying very high overhead.

Our group was spread over 3 campsites, but we came together for dinner, board games and to sit around the campfire after the sun went down. We talked. A lot!

During the day some of us took naps, read books and we also hiked.

How is hiking radical rest, you might ask? It doesn’t feel restful to the body, especially the 9.5 miles we did one day. But every time our trail came over a ridge and displayed yet another stunning alpine lake,  or when we spotted a small waterfall, we paused to admire it with a sense of awe for God’s creation. When we came across other hikers on the trail, we smiled and chatted with them. And when we were tired, we found a place to sit, drink, eat snacks, and rest our bodies.

Our hearts and minds experienced Radical Rest though our bodies were weary by the time we got back to the campsite. It’s not easy to describe how satisfying it felt, but it truly was.

Maybe long hikes and tent camping doesn’t appeal to you. Maybe you can find a cabin get-a-way in a spot outside the city that is remote enough to not have wifi or a cell signal. Or maybe you can be disciplined enough to turn your phone off and bury it in your suitcase for a few days. Whatever might work for you, I think you can find a way to give yourself that type of radical rest that being unplugged and absorbing nature can provide.