Sunday, June 14, 2009

People Who Nap May Be Right

I don't rest very well.

I have this horrible tendency to keep going even though my mind and body is crying out for rest. But truly...how effective are we when we've become so tired?

While I was a barista at Starbucks, the most repeated answer to the question "How are you?" was "I'm tired." (Sidenote: If we're not tired, would we answer that question with, "I'm awake?")

Oddly enough, this came from both sides of the counter. It became commonplace at the modern waterholes of coffee shops where both the barista and the customer admit that they are tired. And they continue on with their day, drinking coffee to keep their exhausted bodies going.

This isn't a diatribe against coffee. We all have something that we do to keep ourselves going. But it is of note to me that being tired on a consistent basis doesn't give people cause to worry. How far we will we push ourselves for things that may or may not matter in the end? Would we have been tired for nothing?

We need to rest. We need to revive our bodies, refresh our minds, and
replenish our souls. God created rest for a reason.

Come to me, all you 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. For my yoke i easy and my burden is light.
--Jesus, Matthew 11:28-30

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Good stuff. So many people fill their lives with busy, busy, busy and don't even want to think about the fact that they are going nowhere fast. And our culture pushes the do more thing. I get caught up in the so called "tyranny of the urgent" too many times as well. Our mental, emotional, spiritual and physical lives are all connected. What a good reminder to let God run our lives and rest in Him in every way. Ahhhh.....