Just a Short Little Nap, Please?

"One day, Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's cross over to the other side of the lake." so they got into a boat and started out. On the way across, Jesus lay down for a nap. And while he was sleeping, the wind began to rise. A fierce storm developed and began to swamp them, and they were in real danger."

Luke 8:22-23

I'm guessing that Jesus didn't take a nap because he was in a bad mood, or that he wasn't content with his ministry. I can be certain, because of scripture, that Jesus didn't lay down for a nap because he just couldn't handle his hectic schedule and wanted to get away from it all.

He DID have a hectic schedule. He DID have people clamoring for his attention everywhere he went. He DID have people constantly question his wisdom. He was away from his family and home during his ministry.

Any bets that Jesus lay down for a nap because he was tired?

Moms, when you say you need a nap, when your flesh is ready for a rest, does it happen this way for you, too?

I lay down, I close my eyes. My muscles begin to relax, my joints loosen, then BAM! The "wind begins to rise". Something happens that calls me out from my place of rest.

If I went to the resting place with an attitude of having 'had it up to here', then when something with the children requires me to get up from my rest, I am going to be, well, less than happy about it.

If I have been joyful (choosing to be content, even when things aren't going MY way), then an interruption to my rest will be dealt with peacefully and perhaps I can return to rest.

May those times I seek out rest be to renew my flesh, not to escape life!

Hard Life

We sift through the advice, the warnings, the advertisements. We ask questions, we pray, we read and research. And sometimes, sometimes we just stumble around.

Parenting is sometimes just hard. There are days when life happens, you know how you ought to respond, you love your children, and it still feels really difficult.

Did anyone ever tell you that? That life is hard?

I browsed an online book store this week and saw titles that had all the answers! They had phrases like 'Three easy steps to...' and 'One week to a better...' and '...has never been so easy'.

I understand the desire to have some things be made less work. Streamlined process is more efficient. But what if efficiency would ruin something, rather than make it better? What if time spent in the trenches, sweating it out, working so hard you feel sore for days after, is the best way?

Parenting is like that. Somedays you just have to sweat it out.


And today, October 30th, 2014, I feel exactly the same as I did when I originally posted this content on January 13, 2011. It's still true.