An hour ago, the world was falling apart. I was thinking about fair trade, and the evils of plastic water bottles, and t-ball, which is way more complicated than it sounds when you’re the parent of two five-year olds. Unable to decide if I should sweep the kitchen floor (again) or work on the back porch (which I’m prepping to paint), I took some pork chops out of the freezer, checked on baby b. who was still snoozing away, and took a nap. I love naps. And today it was particularly satisfying since it’s raining. Couple that with the fact that I was up at five o’clock this morning, and you’ve got forty-five minutes well spent.
Granted, I haven’t solved any of the world’s problems, but I am refreshed and ready for the evening shift with the kids. Sometimes people need therapy to help them with their problems. Sometimes, I’m convinced, they just need a nap.
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16 comments:
You have me laughing! Have you ever stood in line behind a cranky person at the store and watched them throw a tantrum thinking, "you didn't get a nap today did you"?
Okay, so sometimes I'm that cranky person. Naps are good. Glad you got one today. : )
Amen. Amen. Amen! I love naps! And since my son was born I hardly take them at all. I guess I hate being woken up more that I hate being tired sometimes. :)
AMM - I have been that person!
Maria - No more naps? Are you serious? But your little one is little, no?
Moms, repeat after me: "sleep when the baby sleeps."
Ah, that's better. (Stop looking at the laundry. STOP. Go lie down!)
LM - I heartily agree. I love taking a nap. Why can't we implement something like the siesta around here??
Hi! I just read your testimony about that nurse helping you when you were 17. What an awesome story of God's kindness! Thanks.
SP & Sarah -- You people are up so late!! Naps all around...
Sarah - thanks for stopping by. Yes. God is good, isn't he?
John Ortberg (author of The Life You've Always Wanted) has said that for many people, the most important, most spiritual thing we could do at this point in our lives is to put down the stupid book and take a nap. Lauren Winner (author of Girl Meets God) said, I think, that taking naps is possibly the most countercultural, prophetic thing people of faith could do today. That and, I suppose, eradicating plastic watter bottles and advocating for fair trade practices.
David - Whoa, I am way more spiritual than I thought I was. Who knew? Of course, I don't have a cross on my cell phone like other very spiritual people, but hey, we've all got to start somewhere. ;-)
Yep. You're in good company. Here's another champion of naps to join your great cloud of yawning witnesses: G. K. Chesterton, the wittiest person who ever lived.
"FOR those who study the great art of lying in bed there is one emphatic caution to be added. Even for those who cannot do their work in bed (as, for example, the professional harpooners of whales), it is obvious that the indulgence must be very occasional. But that is not the caution I mean. The caution is this: if you do lie in bed, be sure you do it without any reason or justification at all. I do not speak, of course, of the seriously sick. But if a healthy man lies in bed, let him do it without a rag of excuse; then he will get up a healthy man. If he does it for some secondary hygienic reason, if he has some scientific explanation, he may get up a hypochondriac."
I love the quote. But could you tell Chesterton to keep it down? I'm trying to sleep.
Thanks!
(Word verification? aarce. And with that, I'm going to go sit down on my...oh, never mind.)
LM -- I am one of the few people I know who can actually recall a "favorite nap." It was a cool, breezy day. Junior year of college. I was on Spring Break in one of the coastal towns of south Texas. Everyone else was gone. I took a big comforter out on the balcony overlooking the ocean. I curled up on a padded chair and slept for several hours. I think of that nap a lot! I'm with you. A nap can do a lot of us a lot of good!
An interesting twist to the bottled water debate is the use of empty water bottles to teach people in 3rd world countries how to purify their drinking water. (I understand the idea that clean drinking water should be available to all, but when you are in the African bush- it's simply not a reality) We worked in Africa last summer with missionaries who save the empty liter size water bottles and teach Tanzanians in rural areas to purify their water by filling the bottles, shaking for 30 seconds, then leaving the bottles in the sun for several hours (shaking oxygenates the water and reacts with the UV light to purify. But, it only works with the thin PET bottles). Yes, drink tap water- it's perfectly safe, but don't feel guilty if you drink bottled water either... Maybe we would all be better off if we took more naps and spent less time condemning each other ;-)
-Frazzmom
Immediately after posting my above comment, I realized that I myself was rather condemning...
I apologize. I guess I'm the one who needs a nap!
-Frazzmom
Llama Momma, Yes. I need naps to substitute my excessive intake of coffee. Actually I'd love to have a nap everyday early afternoon, since I get up so early.
But who am I to talk, or why should I here? When you have your hands so full with your little and growing family! What a wonderful work you do. And I pray you'll get that needed nap!
Charity - Ah. The favorite nap. Very, very nice.
Frazzmom - no need to apologize. I heartily appreciate differences of opinion -- especially on my blog where it starts to get a little bit too "Oh, yes, me too" at times. :-)
Ted - Nap when you can, brother! We are all in different seasons, and God has certainly assigned us different roles, but one thing we all have in common is our need for rest.
sometimes, just sometimes, don't you feel like you HAVE solved a major global problem because you diplomatically (or, perhaps, by the authority of your super-power status) gotten your children to nap?
(Pleeeeeeze tell me I'm not the only one who feels like I've brokered a major treaty when naptimes happen the whole house!)
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