What Happens When We Stop Trying to Hold Everything Together?

There is always more to do.

Another email to answer. Another meeting to attend. Another person who There is always more to do.

Another email to answer. Another meeting to attend. Another person who needs something. Another problem to solve.

For those who lead, the list can feel especially relentless. And somewhere along the way, we can begin to believe that faithfulness means keeping up with all of it.

But what if stopping is part of faithfulness, too?

Recently, in partnership with Faith Matters Network and Fetzer Institute, we launched Gather at the Well, a cohort for Black women and gender-expansive ministry leaders who often carry particularly heavy loads of care, leadership, and vision.

Rev. Alicia R. Forde, our Director of Formation, is accompanying this cohort and was part of its first gathering. She described something that sounds simple but can feel almost countercultural for leaders:

They began by resting.

Not resting so they could come back refreshed and accomplish more. Not squeezing recovery into the margins of an already full schedule. They practiced Sabbath together.

Reflecting on the experience, facilitator Ristina Gooden acknowledged just how difficult that can be:

"The demands on our time are heavy, and it can feel selfish — or even a little absurd — to travel to a distant place…to take naps, wander leisurely through the woods, and…laugh loudly, tell long stories, sit quietly, and let the tears flow when the moment asks for them.”

But something happens when we stop.

We remember that we don't have to know everything.

We don't have to solve everything.

We don't have to be everything to everyone.

And perhaps most importantly, we remember that God keeps working even when we aren't.

That's part of the wisdom of Sabbath. It isn't simply recovery so we can return to being productive. It's a practice of trust.

We stop long enough to remember that the world does not depend entirely upon us.

We make room for mystery. For curiosity. For relationships that aren't transactional. For noticing the divine already in our midst.

And maybe even for answers that don't arrive because we worked harder to find them.

So here's a small experiment.

What would happen if you protected four consecutive hours during your workweek for Sabbath?

No catching up on email. No planning ahead. No productive errand disguised as rest.

Walk. Pray. Read. Nap. Sit outside. Spend time with someone you love.

And notice what happens when, for a few hours, you stop trying to hold everything together.

Perhaps you'll discover that you never were.

And that God is still at work.

Gather at the Well is a Learning & Innovation cohort offered in partnership with Faith Matters Network and Fetzer Institute, creating space for Black women and gender-expansive ministry leaders to experience community, formation, deep rest, and renewal.