Rest as A Sensory Experience - Thoughts of my #oneword2026

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF REST

Rest is an important part of life. When God said to work six days and rest on the seventh, it was not meant to be a day of doing nothing or following some legalistic rules. It was meant for our good.

God created us to love and serve him, but he also created us to need rest and refreshment. I’m writing this on a Sunday, a day which many of us take as a day of rest. I realize that some people have to work on Sunday, but it’s still important to have a day of rest, even if it’s a different day.

My #oneword2026 is rest, but I haven’t thought much about it these past few months. I believe rest is important, but sometimes I put it off. Or I might be busy with writing or some other activity and forget to take breaks.

So, when, in the #oneword2026 Facebook group, I saw Lisa’s challenge to think about our word in sensory terms, I was drawn in. I put on my thinking cap and began to imagine—What would rest feel, taste, sound, or smell like?

WHAT DOES REST SOUND LIKE?

My first thought was the song of the wood thrush, which I often hear when I go outside. It’s so beautiful, melodic, and peaceful. Rest sometimes sounds like the falling rain, or the melodic wind chimes on our porch.

As I love playing the piano, rest also sounds like the music that pours forth as my fingers travel over the keys. Or it might sound like quiet, instrumental music, especially the beautiful hymns that remind us of who God is and that He cares for us.

When I say the word rest aloud, it signals me to relax. It brings to mind scenes of sitting beside a quiet stream, lying back to look at the clouds and sky, listening to all the sounds of nature.

WHAT DOES REST FEEL LIKE?

At first, my thoughts were all jumbled, and I began looking around to see if I could find any inspiration in my surroundings. I spotted a photo of sunflowers, which is also the cover of my first book. I thought about how sunflowers always face the sun. Maybe rest would feel like the warm sun on my face on a cool day. Yet if a day was very warm, a soft, cool breeze would bring a feeling of rest and relief.

If I could actually touch rest, I think it would feel soft, like a favorite blanket or pillow to squeeze. Or it might feel smooth and hard as I hold in my hand a favorite book to read.

WHAT DOES REST TASTE LIKE?

When I have been extra busy, I sometimes like to sit on our reclining loveseat, lying back and propping my feet up, sipping a nice cup of tea as I relax. I don’t sweeten my tea, so in this case, the taste of rest would be a rich, black tea. Other times, rest would taste like a homemade iced peppermint mocha latte.

Rest can also taste like a warm, spicy bowl of soup on a cold day. It warms you up and helps you relax. Another day, rest might be slowly savoring a piece of maple candy as it melts in your mouth.

WHAT DOES REST SMELL LIKE?

Rest is like the scent of lavender and peppermint in a diffuser, helping me relax as I savor the aroma. Sometimes, rest smells of freshly brewed coffee, signaling that it’s time to take a break.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Smell the roses.” Some roses, I’ve found, don’t have a scent, but the beautiful red roses that grow just under our porch landing have the most wonderful aroma. Of all the scents, I think this one speaks rest and beauty all rolled into one.

TRUE REST

This exercise has been fun and a good way to help me slow down and think about what rest really means. Yet, I know that there will be times when I get busy, forget to rest, and find myself tense and tight as a rubber band.

It’s so easy to let things weigh me down and feel like it’s up to me to fix it (whatever it happens to be at the time). That’s when I need to remember that the source of true rest doesn’t lie in what I do but in a person—Jesus, who said:

Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 6:28-30

What about you? How would you describe rest using sensory language. Or, if you have a #oneword2026, how would you describe it?