Advice From a Bear Part 5 - Take a Good, Long Nap!

Hello everybody!

I am writing this on Thursday afternoon after very early start to my day, and boy, does taking a good, long nap sound like great advice from our friend the BEAR! How much would you love to curl up in a den, grab a fuzzy blanket, a comfy pillow and take a good snooze right now?

If you're wired anything like me - you might be saying "I'm too busy to take a nap." Being busy is one thing, but refusing to take a nap because of it is not a good thing!!!! In fact, because you are so busy is probably the BEST reason to take a nap! Besides, it's SCRIPTURAL!!!!!!!

The writer of Hebrews shares this with us:

• There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.
  Hebrews 4:9-10

Now, for the most part, the writer is referring to eternal rest with God in heaven for the faithful. However, what about rest here on Earth? God took a Sabbath rest on the 7th day when He finished His creation. Jesus took a Sabbath rest when He needed to; why do we often feel like we don't need one?

I think this may be a faith issue - and not so much our faith in God, but faith in others. At least for me it was. I remember working my fingers to the bone in the past because I didn't believe that anyone else could do what I could do. I liked having my hand in EVERYTHING because I didn't trust others to do as good of a job as me. Arrogant, to say the least, I must say. And my arrogance ended up creating a very tired, very burnt-out person. And that was not good for myself or anyone around me. How is that for a good and faithful servant??????

I have had to learn to take time off. I have had to learn how to let go. It does not come naturally to me. I am still not that great at it. But taking Sabbath time - resting, just being, spending quiet time with God, is not only refreshing for the body, it is also refreshing for the soul. I pray we can all remember that the next time we take on too much, or think that the world is going to fall apart if we take a break.

This Sunday we are going to talk about our first spiritual discipline - prayer and meditation. This is a great place to start in our efforts to take Sabbath time! I hope you will take the message to heart.

I think our friend the Bear is right on the money with this one. He goes and takes a good, long nap without another care in the world, and comes out in the Spring all rested and refreshed! Doesn't that sound wonderful?

Let's make a deal - Sunday after church we all go home and take one! What do you think about that?

Love in Christ,

Pastor Kathi