It’s Okay to Rest

First and foremost, I want to thank God for allowing the vision He placed on my heart to become a reality.

This community exists because of His faithfulness. I also want to thank each and every one of you for your encouragement, prayers, and kind words. Your support reminds me why I started this journey—to create a place where women can find hope, encouragement, and the reminder that none of us are walking through life alone.

As women, wives, and mothers, we often feel like we have to be superheroes. Many of us grew up looking at our mothers as our greatest heroes, and we strive to be just as strong—if not stronger—for our own children. But the truth is, until you're someone's safe place, someone's comfort, someone's hero, you don't fully understand just how exhausting that responsibility can be.

So before I say anything else, let me remind you of something you may not hear often enough:

You are doing an incredible job.

The battles we fight are often invisible. We wipe away tears before our children see them. We hide the fear behind our smiles. We carry burdens in silence because we don't want our families to worry. We keep showing up, even when we feel like we're running on empty.

I know that feeling all too well.

As I write this, I am just months away from earning my bachelor's degree. There were countless moments during those three years when I questioned whether I could finish. Quitting seemed easier than continuing.

At the time, I was working full-time in management, planning my wedding, raising my oldest daughter, completing college assignments, and then found out I was pregnant with my second daughter. Pregnancy itself brought unexpected challenges, and life became a constant balancing act.

From the outside, it probably looked like I had everything under control.

The truth?

I was exhausted.

But I kept pushing because I knew people were watching—not just friends and family, but my daughters. I wanted them to see perseverance. I wanted them to know that even when life gets hard, we don't have to give up.

Then everything changed.

When my youngest daughter was born, our world was turned upside down.

During the first two and a half months of her life, she lived in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CVICU).

Within her first three weeks, she survived cardiac arrest, was placed on life support, and underwent open-heart surgery.

Nothing prepares a mother for moments like those.

Every single day, while I was still recovering from a C-section, I packed my laptop into my hospital bag and drove to the hospital. I sat beside my daughter's bed surrounded by doctors, nurses, monitors, alarms, and machines that never seemed to stop beeping, all while trying to complete homework assignments.

Looking back, I honestly don't know how I did it.

The drive to the hospital was where I let myself fall apart. Those car rides were filled with tears, fear, worship music, and desperate prayers.

But once I pulled into my driveway, everything changed.

I wiped my tears.

I forced a smile.

I became "okay" again for my husband and my oldest daughter.

I believed I had to stay strong for everyone else.

There was one moment I'll never forget.

My daughter was still on life support, and it felt like the doctors had reached a point where they simply didn't know what the next step would be. Around that same time, my church released a song, I Trust You by Action Worship. The very first line says:

"Even when I don't want to, You ask me to open up my hands and release... surrendering."

Those words pierced my heart.

Because the truth was...

I didn't want to surrender.

I wanted answers.

I wanted control.

I wanted my daughter healed immediately.

But there was nothing I could do to change her situation.

The only thing left was to trust God completely.

So I opened my hands.

I surrendered.

And I chose to trust Him.

From that day forward, my prayers became deeper, more intentional, and more desperate than ever before.

Around that same time, I reached out to my church in a way I never had before. Although I had attended for nearly three years, I had always come to service and quietly gone home without really connecting with anyone.

I finally sent a simple email asking for prayer.

Within two hours, I received both an email and a phone call from one of the pastors.

I wasn't expecting a response at all.

Instead, I experienced the love of the Body of Christ in a way I never had before.

One of our pastors came to the hospital, prayed over my daughter, prayed over our family, and reminded us that we weren't carrying this burden alone.

That moment changed how I viewed church forever.

Sometimes God answers our prayers by sending people willing to stand beside us.

If there's one thing I've learned through all of this, it's this:

You don't have to carry everything by yourself.

It is okay to ask for help.

It is okay to take a break.

It is okay to rest.

Rest is not weakness.

Rest is obedience.

God never asked us to carry every burden alone. He simply asks us to trust Him with them.

So if you're reading this today feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or like you're drowning under the weight of everything on your shoulders, I want to encourage you.

Take a breath.

Take a nap if you need one.

Ask for help.

Spend time with God.

Then, when you're rested, get back up and keep going.

Don't quit.

Because what you're walking through today is preparing you for the testimony you'll share tomorrow.

And I can promise you this—

God has never left your side, and He isn't about to start now.

Scripture to Hold Onto

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

— Matthew 11:28–30 (NIV)

No matter what season you're in, remember that God never intended for you to carry every burden on your own. He invites you to lay your worries, fears, and exhaustion at His feet. Rest isn't a sign of weakness—it's an act of faith. When we surrender our burdens to Him, He gives us the strength we need to keep moving forward, one step at a time.

With love and prayers!