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“Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
We aren’t called to literally stay awake 24/7. Staggering bleary-eyed through life is not ideal. There is no gold medal given out to the most exhausted survivor. Our bodies and our souls demand regular breaks. Such self-care is not a frivolous luxury, but a vital way to honor the lives God has graciously given us. And now that I no longer view sleep as my mortal enemy, I can enjoy those unconscious hours, whenever they come.
Summer is a time when our pace tends to slow a bit. It’s a season for days off, for shore or mountain vacations. The warm sun induces drowsiness. The shade of that tree in the backyard beckons us to pause there, close our eyes for a while, and gently drift off.
Now I realize: it’s okay to lay down those burdens and rest. The world and its worries will be waiting when I wake up. For now, let’s go ahead and take a nap. The Lord sustains us.
This message is excerpted from “The blessings of a nap” by Elise Seyfried in the July/August 2023 Gather magazine. Today we commemorate Clare, Abbess of San Damiano, 1253.