When pregnant with my first baby, I cannot tell you how many times I heard the advice to sleep when the baby sleeps. For a go-go-go, overachiever person like myself, that suggestion went in one ear and out the other. When I finally got my little girl down for the elusive nap, I would rush around the house doing every chore I could find until she woke up.
My nap time neurosis only increased when I became a stay-at-home mom and added two more kiddos to the mix. I guard nap time like Scrooge guarded his wealth not only because I know my kids need naps (seriously....come to my house around 4pm when one or more hasn't napped...dun dun dunnn), but also because I used that time to fly around my house in near panic mode picking up toys, cleaning bathrooms, prepping dinners, and--of course--spending my obligatory time on Facebook. When I opened my cloth diaper business (insert shameless plug for Recycled Rumps here), I became even more driven at naptime because I needed that time to work on cutting fabric, sewing diapers, and then cleaning up from all of it before my little project destroyers awakened.
However, as I prayed over the changes God wanted me to make in this new year, I realized that something very important was missing from my day: rest. I never stopped! I was in productive mode from sun-up to sun-down, and doing so made me irritable, exhausted, and downright crabby by the end of the day. Wait a second...isn't that exactly how my children act when they don't get naps? My children needed rest during the day to function in the evening, so why didn't I? Especially in this season when my body is working in overtime in the third trimester of nurturing and growing our fourth little blessing, my body is crying out for rest.
Of course, starting this new discipline took some serious soul-searching. I had to let go of my idols of the perfect home, since giving myself time to rest would cut back on my cleaning time. I had to let go of my idol of achievement, knowing that a nap would put less "look what I did today" items on my list. I had to let go of the idol of screen time and come to grips with the fact that the world would not end with the cessation of my midday Facebook update. These are not idols I have easily cast aside, so I really had to open myself up to the awesome power of the Lord to help me in this endeavor.
The first day, I sat in bed next to my oldest with my mind reeling. My to-do list kept growing, and the minutes kept ticking by. After many prayers for peace and a couple of notes jotted in my bedside notebook (an essential to calm a woman's active mind, in my opinion), I finally dozed off for about 45 minutes. When nap time ended, we started the difficult task of our afternoon and evening routine--a time of day made more difficult by the fact that I face this time alone since my husband works second shift. But, when I got my last babe to bed that evening, I realized we endured the entire afternoon with no yelling, more playtime, and a nearly complete to-do list. I also had more energy to do some work for my diaper business after the house quieted down for the evening. IS it possible that the nap actually made me MORE productive?
I tried the experiment for a week, and the results were always the same: a happier mama with happier kids and a happier home. All the necessary chores still got done. Dinner still got made from scratch. More games were played. Bedtime went smoother because I had more patience. More diapers and other projects got completed. Yes, my daily nap has actually made our home a happier home! And, taking that nap has become increasingly easier for me. I get a few things done in the morning, then rest easy after lunch knowing that the world will not cave in because I took the time to rest.
So, I'm here to tell you, mamas: it is OKAY, and in fact NECESSARY to rest. You don't have to nap, but take an hour in your day to uplug, to unwind, and to simply be still. I know stillness is a difficult thing for a stay at home mom. Trust me, I KNOW. I'm not a still person by any means. But, I cannot argue with the incredibly positive results that this discipline has produced. No chore or task is more important than the serenity of our home.
Let's take this one step further...God Himself rested after CREATING THE UNIVERSE! Check out Genesis 2: 2-3: “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” Who are we to think that we don't need rest when the God of the Universe Himself needed rest? He set that example for a reason, mamas!
Taking the time to rest not only refreshes our bodies, but it also refreshes our souls. I know that when my body is weary, I am more prone to the sins of temper, anger, and self-pity. Perhaps this is why the Bible warns in Hebrews 4: 9-11, “Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.” The Lord has called me to be a peaceful mother who is firm yet kind. I cannot do that if my body is weary. I just can't. I know this from experience, and I'm sure many of you do, too.
Mama, it is okay to relax. In fact, you NEED to relax. Rest your weary head and be the mama that the Lord has called you to be.
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