Ever felt like your carefully planned rest just... vanished? Matt Edmundson knows that feeling intimately.

Two months ago, Matt should have been at his annual lake house retreat. Instead, he was in an NHS hospital room, learning his wife Sharon had melanoma. In that moment, all those carefully crafted rhythms - the conference, the planned escapes - evaporated. But what Matt discovered next might change how you think about rest, holidays, and finding God in the unexpected.

From glamping tents with log burners (yes, really) to ancient festivals that knew something we've forgotten, this conversation explores why two weeks can't fix what fifty weeks create - and what God's threefold rhythm offers instead. No perfect circumstances required, just honest faith for disrupted plans.

[05:00 ] When Escape Plans Evaporate

Matt shares the moment his summer rhythm fell apart - and why that might have been exactly what he needed.

"How could you leave in a situation like that? I needed to be present, not just for medical appointments, but for all those conversations that needed to happen between those."

What we explore:

• Why we've made rest something we escape to
• The brutal statistics about UK holiday stress
• How achievement-based rest actually exhausts us
• Why 61% of workers don't take full annual leave

Key takeaway: When life disrupts our plans, God might be writing something better.

[10:00 ] God's Threefold Rhythm

Discover the ancient pattern that prevents burnout rather than just treating symptoms.

"God's threefold rhythm isn't about rigid schedules. What if the purpose is creating space for divine appointments - even in a hospital waiting room?"

Biblical wisdom:

• Daily work with purpose (not just grinding)
• Weekly Sabbath for rest (fiercely protected)
• Seasonal festivals throughout the year
• How Leviticus offers sustainable patterns

Key takeaway: These aren't escapes from life but divine appointments woven into life.

[17:00 ] Divine Appointments in Unexpected Places

Matt and Sharon's glamping experience reveals how sacred moments can happen anywhere.

"We didn't know anybody there. I didn't have to answer questions or check email. We just got to be. It was a divine appointment."

Real-life discovery:

• Finding rest without perfect circumstances
• Why gratitude transforms perspective
• The Hebrew concept of moed - appointed times
• How crisis clarifies what truly matters

Key takeaway: Divine appointments aren't limited to perfect circumstances or planned retreats.

[22:00 ] Gratitude in the Disruption

The surprising emotion Matt feels most through this difficult season.

"The overwhelming sense I feel right now is gratitude. Not because of the cancer - let me be clear - but I'm grateful for God's presence in the midst of it."

Practical hope:

• Giving thanks in all circumstances (not for all)
• How gratitude doesn't deny difficulty
• Finding God's presence in hospital waiting rooms
• Why celebration happens in community, not isolation

Key takeaway: Sacred rhythms that no circumstance can steal.

About Matt Edmundson: Pastor at Crowd Church Liverpool and business owner who's learned that divine appointments can happen anywhere - from lake houses to hospital chairs. His honest exploration of faith during difficult seasons offers hope for anyone whose plans have been disrupted.