BATTLING REST

Watching the Battle Against Rest

My family of three was asked to watch the two girls from next door—two energetic, somewhat demanding children. Their father left promising he would return and insisting they would not need to spend the night. Still, he brought their pajamas just in case.

After a full evening of activities, dinner, and snacks, the girls were finally dressed for bed. The younger one quickly gave in to sleep and drifted off in my son’s lap. Her older sister, however, seemed driven by an internal loop of her father’s words: “I will return for you tonight.” She circled the ottoman in the middle of the room, fighting sleep with all her might.

At times, exhaustion overtook her so completely that she briefly dozed off in the middle of her frantic motion. It was both funny and heartbreaking to watch. The struggle was visible: her body begged for rest while her mind resisted. That invisible battle played out in every hurried step.

When We Treat Rest as Optional

I had forgotten that evening until I was prompted to reflect on my own habits of rest. Do I really allow myself to be restored, or do I resist rest the same way that child did?

We live in a culture that often treats rest, restoration, and rejuvenation as rewards rather than necessities. If I had earned a dollar every time my body asked for rest and I ignored it, my bank account would be much larger. The mind has a way of convincing us to push harder and produce more. Sometimes that effort is necessary. But what is always true is that there is a cost.

·       The mind that urges us to keep pushing becomes less capable when it is exhausted.

·       The body eventually suffers from the strain.

·       Relationships that matter are often neglected in the process.

I once thought money was the primary motivator behind this pattern, and perhaps it is one of them. But the drive for status can be just as powerful—the desire to impress peers, satisfy a boss, or secure a seat at the table. We tell ourselves, “I will rest when I become or finish ______, when I have $______ in the bank, or when I am on the board or committee of ______.” So, we keep circling, striving, and scheming while the body cries out for rest and the mind invents new reasons to keep going—until one or the other finally gives way.

The Gift of Rest

Paradoxically, when the mind listens to the body’s need for rest—when rest becomes its own reward, something remarkable happens, many of the rewards we strive for begin to emerge more naturally. A rested mind and body create space for creativity and problem-solving, which may explain the wisdom behind the phrase, “Let me sleep on it.” History and science both affirm that sleep helps the brain process information, regulate emotion, and make sound decisions.

Psalm 4:8

Ponder This Thought--- Anne Lamott wrote, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… including you.”

THE BATTLE IS OVER