Goodnight, Sherry

“By the seventh day, God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” Genesis 2:2

As a teenager, I loved spending the night at my Aunt Debbie’s. She was the big sister I never had, exposing me to music, movies, and fashion. Life was never the same after she took me to my first real hair salon, where the stylist pampered me with a neck and head massage. I wanted to emulate her in all ways, but there was one way we were vastly different. She appreciated extra rest on the weekend, while I was forever an early riser, waking up as the sun peaked over the horizon. Wide awake, words were itching to escape after the night of sleep had bottled up my extroverted voice. So, she gently asked me not to disturb her until 10:00am. For an extrovert, this admonishment felt like a sentence of silence on the couch.

It is interesting how we invest in different areas in our lives, buying the necessary tools and gadgets to make our lives comfortable. From Alexa, garlic presses, and hair dryers, we hope the investment will make it easier to turn off the lights, make dinner, and get ready for work. But only in recent years has it felt like there is a consumer push to invest in something that we should be doing at least 8 hours a night—sleep. Cooling pillows, sound machines, rings to track sleep, and black-out curtains are just some of the ways to help us sleep better.

One of the most important items for good sleep is a good mattress, and Terry and I desperately needed a new one. Ours was 11 years old, and it showed the canyons of our bodies and a mountain down the middle. Not only was the mattress uncomfortable, but our pillows also no longer held our heads like marshmallow clouds. Even the sheets were starting to show wear. It was time for a bedroom overhaul.

As I was doing research on what mattress to buy, I realized I have changed since my early teens. I enjoy sleeping in, always sleeping longer than my husband, a significant role reversal in our marriage. I find the extra sleep restores me both physically and mentally. It helps me face challenges with a clear mind and increases my productivity at work. It also helps me think clearly when emotional stress enters my life. And I realize, God had it right. He created the night and day and said it was good. He created a time to rest first, and then a time for us to be productive.

Yet, why does it still feel like a luxury to start my day at 8:30 or 9 am on a Saturday? Why do I feel a need to justify it by reminding myself that I have an auto-immune disorder?  Beyond sleep, why is it easy to tell my husband to stop doing things and find something relaxing to do, yet I feel guilty when I curl up on a couch to read a mystery? Why do we feel like we need to fill all our waking moments by checking off things on a to-do list?

I know I have written about this before, yet I still need a reminder. I need to remind myself that rest is good; that the root word of restoration is rest; and I believe strongly in a God who brings restoration to the broken world. If He, as our Creator, prioritized rest from the beginning, I need to take note and prioritize it in my own life.

I grew up in a family that borderline idolized a strong work ethic. It was common for my uncles to work all the overtime they could. They embodied that lesson learned from my grandfather, who worked two full-time jobs: farming and working in a factory. Yet, of my four uncles, only one has been able to enjoy his retirement. Two died unexpectedly before they could retire, and one was just getting into the groove of his retirement before his unexpected death. Their hard work was admirable, but I sometimes wonder, what if they had skipped the occasional overtime? Would it have given them more time to rest and do the things they enjoyed, like flying a parachute plane, going up to the cabin, or simply resting? They all worked hard to create good lives for their families, and they also enjoyed spending time with their children, but how many more memories could have been created?

I love the work I do, helping a non-profit by creating volunteer opportunities and building relationships in the community to increase awareness and support for the organization. It is easy to work all day long and not take the time off I need when I have evening and weekend events. But, like my uncles, it is not going to hurt me to rest. I need to write, not because it’s productive, but because it restores me. I need to read because it inspires me. I need to hang out with friends and get a pedicure or go for ice cream, because it fills me. Rest is good. And I need to remind myself that if I have a healthy work/rest balance, my mental, physical, and emotional status will align in a healthier manner.

The new mattress feels amazing, and the pillows are like marshmallow clouds. We must still tweak a few things in the bedroom, including getting a new bed frame so we can attach our new headboard. But we are moving in the right direction, and we are getting better rest.