Nap Time

toddlers are some of the luckiest little people in the world.  think about it, they have someone to feed them, clothe them, kiss their boos boos and answer to their every need.  one of the best things about being a toddler is that someone puts you down for a nap each day.  can you imagine?  toddlers get to be taken to a cool, dark, quiet room, tucked into bed and left alone for a couple of hours each day.

let’s just take a moment to envision the luxury of that....

a couple of days ago, heath had taken the kids to lunch while i went to the gym.  when i picked up the kids, i then took them for haircuts.  echo was WELL past her nap time.  normally she goes down at noon.  on this day, it was a little past 2:00.  as we came into the house and took off our shoes, i let her know her fate.  “echo, it’s time for you to go night-night.”  to which she replied, “no”.

hmm, i can see where this is going....

i knew she was tired and past all reasoning, so my better judgement told me to keep quiet and calmly lead her to her room.  however, echo, like many toddlers, is a bright little girl.  as we approached the stairs, she began to contort her body into all sorts of ways, whining and crying.  she knew these stairs led straight up to her bed and that was NOT what she wanted.  we climbed the stairs for what seemed like 45 minutes.  listening to her whining was like...well, it was like listening to a toddler whine and cry.  annoying is a very nice way to put it.  the sound made me want to contort my own body and begin to cry just the same.

once we made it up to her room, she refused to pee in the potty.  my mother put it best when she said, “you can lead a horse to water....”.  because you can sit the toddler on the potty but you can’t make her pee.  finally, i got echo into her bed and snuggled her in.  i placed all of her animals, blanket, and lovie in her arms.  before i could unleash my inner dragon on her, i turned and walked out the door, leaving her to cry out her final rebuttals.

when i’d gotten down the stairs and into the kitchen to check her monitor.  she was out.  dead asleep.  it took her less than 2 minutes to fall into complete and utter silence.  sleeping peacefully without a care in the world.

really?  all that ridiculousness and she passed out THAT quickly?!

yesterday, heath took the afternoon off.  he’s been traveling and working like crazy for the last month and a half.  (well, longer than that but the last several weeks have been brutal!)  it’s been nonstop for him.  he's been waking early in the mornings to get in extra hours and staying up later to put in the final bits and pieces.  if he’s not working, he’s thinking about working.  if he’s not thinking about working, then he’s dreaming about it.  so it was no surprise to me that when he had an afternoon off (after running several errands and odd jobs that had to be done) he came in and laid on the couch.  we had a nice fire going, the kids were watching a movie.  it was set up perfectly for a man to come in, lay down his weary head,

and take a nap.

and that’s just what he did.  he got horizontal, closed his eyes and let it all go.  i bet he was asleep in less than 2 minutes.

i had to laugh to myself at how men and toddlers are so much alike.  but then i realized how much we are all like toddlers.  we fight rest.  we fight down time.  we feel that we have to get it all in, get it all done.  and seriously, who has time for rest during this time of the year!?  right?  there is shopping to be done, gifts to be wrapped, family to visit, food to cook, dishes to clean, Christmas cards to make/write/lick/stamp/address/send.  the list is endless.  and when any or all of those things are done, there is always something to be added.  something more to be done.

it’s one of the bazillion reasons why i love Christmas Day so much.  the world shuts down.  time stands still.  for just a moment.  we are forced...or should be forced to put all others things to the side.  except for our family.  except for our love.  except for the remembrance of a tiny and perfect baby being born to save the world from itself.

this is a day when God gets to be the One who reminds us that He leads us each day and encourages us to take a rest.  almost as if He leads us up into that cool, dark quiet room and lays us down for a nap.  or shows us to a comfortable couch by a warm and cozy fireplace. take rest in Me is what He seems to say.

in all of the crazy dysfunction, all the hustle and bustle, all the worry and doubt, the frustrations and unknowns, i want to take a day of rest.  and what better day than the day that we celebrate the Savior’s birth?  what better way to celebrate Him, then to surrender ourselves to the rest that He was sent to provide for us?

so this Christmas Day, i plan to give and receive some gifts.  i plan to spend a day with my family.  i want to spend some crazy fun moments with my children, (some peaceful and some...probably not so peaceful).  and i plan to rest.  i plan to curl myself up with whatever big or small person that is around and willing to snuggle.  i plan to take a nap.  that’s right.  a nap.  and i’m going to take that nap without a protest or a fight.  i won’t whimper or cry.  i’m just going to nap.  in Christ’s honor.

i hope that there are others who are able to rest on Christmas Day.  take rest and comfort in one another.  know that there is Someone else doing your work for you and give yourself permission to relax.

Merry Christmas, my friends.  Happy napping.



 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."  Matthew 11:28