Rest in peace 2024. Rest in peace 2025. The spirit word I have chosen to guide me in 2025 is rest. That expression “rest in peace” abbreviated R.I.P. is common parlance after someone has died. Today I invite you to expand how you might use that phrase.
Rest in peace as an expression has the essence of something both in the past (a death) and in the future (a hope for the future of the person who has died). The Latin phrase requiescat in pace (may the deceased person rest in peace appeared on tombstones of Christians in the eighth century. The Latin phrase has the same acronym as R.I.P. rest in peace.
Today on this last day of 2024 I plan to consider how R.I.P. might be short hand for me as I focus on resting. I am going to practice peaceful resting; the resting of my mind and emotions as well allowing my body deeper rest. To take a moment in the midst of the busy, the long list, the running late.. to breath in peace- resting in peace.
As we say goodbye to 2024 and hello to 2025 I invite you to consider what resting in peace looks like for you. Not in what it might have looked like in the past, not needing to pressure yourself or project peaceful resting into the future instead to practice resting in peace in this very moment, in this breath. Today we brought home Tobi, a 2 year old Malteses mix rescue dog. It got me to leave work a little early. I have spent time today getting him used to our home sitting with both him and our other dog Zoey in my lap. Dan created a special crate space for him to rest. He has settled right in surprising us in many ways as he rests in peace.
Above is a photo of Tobi today after we brought him home. He’s scruffy and it will take time for him to get really comfortable and we have to wait a couple of weeks post-surgery until he can be groomed. We will get to practice patience and perseverance as we get to know one another and allow him to get used to being safe in our space after likely living on the streets. There is some whining and agitation as Tobi sorts out how to get settled. Sometimes it is like that for me as well as I seek to rest in peace. It takes time and practice. Pausing, breathing, petting the dogs have been this afternoons practice of resting in peace. I get to keep adding new ways to R.I.P.
A wander instead of a walk - peacefully pausing with no particular destination in mind? An evening cup of herbal tea while reading a novel? An afternoon nap? There are so many ways to rest in peace. What might you try today?
Part of my practice in choosing a word to walk with me is to connect it with passages of scripture. “God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all the work he had done.” Genesis 2:2. “Those who walk uprightly enter into peace and rest on their couches.” Isaiah 57:2. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” John 14:27
During my sabbatical when practicing Centering Prayer, I began to use the imagery of resting in the lap of God. A deep peace comes upon me and I can breath more deeply. This is one of my ways of resting in peace. Practicing that pause brings peace. This year as I practice being in the present moment and practice resting in peace I will share with you what I learn. Would you be willing to do the same? I would love to hear from you about how you rest in peace. And if you want to share a photo of your furry friend I'd love to see it ~so feel free to share that as well. Our animal friends often help us rest in peace.