What is one of your favorite things to do in your spare-time?  If you had free time just for yourself, what would you want to spend it doing?  Is there a hobby or a mindless activity you enjoy?  Is there a sport you love to play or to watch?  Do you love art or creating?

I believe we do not give ourselves permission to enjoy our hobbies and favorite things as much as we could.  An important part of Renewing our Energy in Spirit Time is giving ourselves permission to play and to enjoy one of our hobbies.  I believe playing taps into a different part of our spirits, and it is great for the soul!  Playing allows us to retreat away from the world of work or the stresses of family and just enjoy the many gifts God places in our lives to enjoy.

A ritual of R.E.S.T. that I love is reading a book!  Reading is top of my list of things I want to do with my free time.  Ever since I was little, I enjoyed picking up a book and immersing myself into a story.  This ritual of R.E.S.T. began years ago when before bedtime my parents suggested we read quietly in our beds.  I remember hating to turn out the lights and to put the book down!

Picking a new book was, and still is, a ritual in itself.  At first, I stood in front of my bookshelf and scanned the titles of new and old books.  When I got 0lder, I stood in front of my dad’s two gigantic bookshelves eager to find my next book.   My dad stood right next to me, and he pulled books down, sharing their meaning to him, telling me the basic plot, and suggesting ones to read.  Eventually, the two of us would decide on my next book.

To this day, the ritual of picking my next book is one of my favorite things to do.  Sometimes, I ask my friend, Mandy, for a recommendation (she has a great list!).  Sometimes, I pull one from my wish list on amazon.  Sometimes, I just scan titles on amazon until I find one that catches my eye.

It is not just about the selection of the book, but it is about plopping down somewhere and allowing myself to enter into the story.  I cherish these moments!  I do not always make the time to read, but when I do, it just makes my soul smile.  It is a way of playing for me that renews my energy in spirit time.

Reading is one of my favorite things, and it is a ritual of R.E.S.T. for me!  What is one of your favorite things that renews your energy in Spirit time?

Becky Eldredge

Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.