Peace for the soul
It is an odd thing for a holiday to be in the middle of the week. Because we are a people who like to celebrate things, we started to celebrate this holiday the weekend before, and will continue to do so the weekend after the Fourth of July. Of course in between the two weekends some of us got the holiday of the fourth off but had to go back the next day to work. It was like having two Mondays in the same week, and some of us may not have been our best when returning to work on Thursday. It is quite common when people get together to celebrate a holiday, with all the laughter and fun and food that we become quite weary. Not only is it the preparation before the gathering, but it is the cleanup afterwards that is tiring also.
For some of us we actually feel guilty if we are tired, and try to keep pushing on to the point of exhaustion. This never does anyone any good, as you are less than your best in the performance of your duties, when you cannot focus or concentrate because of your weariness. If you ever indulge yourself in reading self-help books, the first thing they stress is taking care of yourself. They encourage you to get enough sleep, to eat enough, and even pamper yourself from time to time. Their contention is if you do not take care of yourself it is harder to take care of others. Lack of sleep and proper diet can make your body struggle to say healthy, causing the tiredness you feel to become habitual.
I would suggest that we follow the Bible’s suggestion for this condition: Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. When we take the time for meditation, Bible reading, talking with God we received an inner peace. He promises to give us rest, to take our burdens, and to give us peace, so why not take him up on that promise. To admit that you are tired and need a little extra rest does not make you a sluggard, or a bad parent, it makes you human, you don’t have to be a supermom, (or Dad) 24/7.
Do not misunderstand and think that working hard and playing hard doesn’t constitute the same requirements for rest. It is only when your play ends up in becoming irresponsible to your family, that it is considered a less than desirable action. In this area of the Bible is very plain, that if you’re a sluggard, a little sleep, a little folding of the hands, will lead to your poverty. But God knew man’s need for rest after working hard, as he himself rested the seventh day after creating the world. So make sure you take time and do what the Bible tells us, to find the rest and peace we need: be still and know that I am God, because God promises us that if we wait upon Him, He will renew our strength.
As parents it is important that we teach our children responsibility of taking care of their body. Teaching them good habits, like brushing their teeth washing their face and combing their hair, will help them maintain good health. It is also important for us to teach them to have good health for their soul, by being still in prayer, reading God’s word, and trusting in His promises.
We as authors can often face writers block if we become weary. We just can’t think straight when we are so tired and we find ourselves dozing off at our desks. To maintain a healthy mind, we must maintain a healthy body, by getting enough rest. We sometimes like to make our heroine behave like the Energizer Bunny, but in reality we know the batteries will run out power eventually.
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
Exodus 33:14
Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
Exodus 34:21
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Psalms 4:8
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
Psalms 127:2
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31