Day 1 — Rest as Beginning
- Scripture: Genesis 2:2–3 — “On the seventh day God finished the work that God had done, and God rested on the seventh day… So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it.”
- Reflection: Scripture’s narration of the creation story, and with it the human story, doesn’t sum itself up with urgency, but with rest. Rest is not a reward for productivity; it is the soil from which life grows.
Winter is also a time of dormancy, as the earth prepares for the spring to come, when the cold and snow are followed by a season of busy growth. For now, let the invitation of winter and the New Year be one of respite and renewal. - Practice: Begin the year slowly. Light a candle and name one thing you will not rush today.
- Song: “New Year’s Day” by Taylor Swift: https://youtu.be/gEHCXl4J9Qo?si=dajqM8AZPiq71RyU
- “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass… is by no means a waste of time.” — John Lubbock
January 1 Daily Devotional