Lent Day 22 – Not Time To Get Up

My wife and I were both gifted sleepers. We regularly got somewhere around 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night. We often slept in until 9am or 10am on Saturdays. We were married almost 10 years before we had children. So, we were quite accustomed to having our sleep. With two parents who slept well, we expected to have children who slept well. It’s supposed to run in the genes. Well, in a wicked twist of genetic irony neither of our boys have been gifted sleepers. All of the books read, sleep training techniques and endless searching for advice has not produced kids who sleep continuously and long. Our boys are up early. My wife and I are night owls. This is a terrible combination. More than just an inconvenience to us, if our boys don’t get enough sleep throughout the night they can be a nightmare the following day. So, a line that my wife and I have uttered hundreds of times, “it’s not time to get up.”  

This past weekend I was in a foul mood. I had trouble with focus and energy. My patience was low and I wasn’t as engaged and productive as I wanted to be. It was super frustrating. About half way through Saturday I realized I was exhausted. I just wanted to lay down and rest. So, I took a nap with my younger one. Well, I laid there and read while he napped. I realized the week was completely full of clients, teaching a graduate class, preparing taxes and taking care of my boys in the evening as my wife was busy with rehearsals for the musical she is directing. Again, I was tired. I didn’t want to admit it and I didn’t want to respect it. However, in my time of quiet space I felt like God was letting me know that I can’t rush rest. Like so many other things in my life, I want to microwave my rest and downtime and get on with being productive. Yet, when I run on fumes, I tend to be slow, unfocused, undisciplined and diminished. Fatigue and exhaustion lead can lead down a road of very dangerous decisions and destructive behavior. I can seek energy in all the wrong places. So, I needed to heed my own advice, “it’s not time to get up.” I wasn’t done resting until I was rested. This weekend took a while to feel rested.

From the very beginning, the Bible declares an intentional and crucial rest. It is called a Sabbath rest. It is to take a break and know that we are not center of the Universe and the Universe can function just fine without us. It is a time for connection, enjoyment and… rest. God takes this rest VERY seriously and continually calls His people to “enter” into His rest. When Moses was looking for strong reassurance from God about leading the Hebrew Liberation Movement, “The Lord replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest’” (Exodus 33:14). He understands our limitations and know we work extremely well when we live within those limitations. We also work well when we don’t try to be God-like in our control and efforts. There are countless example of God providing rest for His people. Jesus sends an intimate invitation, “Come to me, all 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” (Matt 11: 28-29). Certainly today I need deep soul-rest. Will I have to courage and faith to make the time to come to Jesus with my fatigue and worry, trust him and find rest? Can I know that “it’s not time to get up yet” and be okay? Today, I will seek His rest, as long as it takes.