Resting in the Lord

October 12, 2017 3 min read

By Stephanie Parker

I was swimming laps in the pool today and decided to take a little break. I filled my lungs with air and rose to the surface of the water and rested. I’ve always loved to float. Something about defying gravity I think, or maybe it’s the ability to shut out all the noise in life and simply focus on my breathing. It calms my mind. But resting in the water is a very active and intentional thing. You see, as soon as I deflate my lungs, the water closes in around me. I begin to sink. Only when I breathe in deeply again, can I resume my state of rest. Today, as I floated, the Holy Spirit brought this verse to mind, “Come to me… I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) I have always loved the idea of ‘resting’ in the Lord but I don’t think I really grasped the concept until that very moment. In order to stay afloat in the arms of Jesus and truly rest in him, I have to intentionally breathe in the truths of God so that I don’t sink. If we can actively focus on our ‘breathing,’ the waters of life won’t pull us under so easily.

“Resting” in God has become a necessity for me as of late. Our family is going through some challenging times right now and if I’m not actively filling myself up with the promises of God, I become weighed down by worry, fear, exhaustion, uncertainty and insecurity. I begin to sink. But if I choose to breathe in verses like these, I can resume my state of rest in the only place it can truly be found:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

“When my spirit is weak within me, it is you who know my way.” (Psalm 142:3)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Next time you feel like you are sinking, actively choose to breathe… breathe in his promises, his truths, his hope and his love. Go to him and he will give you rest. You will be floating before you know it!

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Stephanie Parker has 3 main loves: God, her husband, Brett and her kids! When Stephanie created the Zipadee-Zip in an effort to solve her daughter, Charlotte's, sleep issues, she never imagined that it would become a business. She is incredibly grateful to God for how Sleepingbaby.com has grown and how it has enabled other families to get the restful sleep they need. Stephanie's husband, Brett Parker assumed the role of CEO which has allowed Stephanie to focus on what she loves which is the creative side of the company, like product and print development. After the Zipadee-Zip was featured on Shark Tank, Stephanie went on to create the book Shepherd's Treasure, a Christian alternative to Elf on the Shelf.

In her free time, Stephanie loves to spend time with her family and friends. Her hobbies include acting, singing, painting, learned and speaking foreign languages and going on adventures with her family! You will find her all summer waterskiing, fishing and laughing with her family on the weekends.

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