Take Time to Rest
Sometimes, a nap just happens. I would be lying if I said that I had never fallen asleep at my desk. My desk is arranged in such a way that my chair is aligned parallel with a wall. And there have been times when, for some completely unexplained reason, my head nestles against the wall and I drift off to sleep, dreaming, I am sure, of another meeting. Ah, meetings.
But more to the point, my wife and I took our kids on a Disney cruise a few years ago. We got checked in and moved in relatively quickly, enough time that we could change into our swim gear (which, for me, is shorts and a t-shirt) and head up to the pool deck. I found a deck chair in the shade and told my wife that I was going to catch a quick nap before getting some reading in.
Now, I know that it had not been more than a few minutes later when my wife woke me up with a smile on her face to my perturbed frown. "Your snoring is cute, however we need to get ready for dinner." Confused, I asked how long I had been asleep. "About three hours. Guess you needed a nap."
Rest is a theological discipline that is as old as the creation story. In Genesis 2:2-3, we are told that God rested from the work of creation after creating humanity and placing them in the garden. This allowed God time to enjoy the good that God had created, to share rest in the moment. This call to rest from work and enjoy the presence of God is later reflected in Exodus 20 when God calls Israel to rest once a week through worship and communal celebration (20:8-11). They are to reflect the need for rest that God took and to do so through worship to God with one another.
We also see Jesus taking time to rest. In Mark 4, Jesus asked his disciples to sail across the Sea of Galilee so that they could rest after a long day of teaching. While Jesus was asleep in the boat, a storm arose that Jesus quickly silenced so that he could go back to resting (4:35-41). Later, in Mark 6, after his ministry in a Gentile region and the death of John the Baptizer, he asks his disciples to come with him a quiet place so that they could rest and grieve (6:30-32). It was also not uncommon for Jesus to go away for the evening and spend the night in prayer (Mark 6:45-46).
If the incarnate Christ required time to rest, reflect, and recharge, why do we think we can constantly run at full throttle? I am asking this question of myself as much as anyone. When I meet with students for mentoring, I often encourage them to take time to rest and practice solitude. Find a quiet place and dedicate five minutes to God, telling God that you are consecrating that time to be in God's presence. No noise, no distractions, nothing. Just you and God for a few moments. If you fall asleep, consider it a holy nap. As we emerge from the cold of winter into the hustle and bustle of spring, take time to rest.
"For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us." -- Psalm 62:5-8 (NRSVUE)
