Naps

 July 24, 2022

This afternoon, I tried reading my Bible and praying. It IS Sunday, after all. I read, but nothing really registered. My prayer time consisted mostly of dozing off—hardly battling the darkness. I know I’m not the only one who struggles with this, but that doesn’t mean I like it. Not one bit!

Instead of castigating myself for being so unspiritual, maybe I need to look at it from another angle. In 1 Kings 19, Elijah had just won a great spiritual and political victory over the priests of Baal, and now Jezebel is out to get him. He runs. Long and hard, to get as far away from her as he can.

Out in the desert (which is where I often find myself spiritually speaking), God doesn’t berate him for running away. He doesn’t tell Elijah how he could have done better. Instead, Elijah takes a nap. When he wakes up, God has dinner prepared for him. Elijah eats, then lays down again. When he wakes, another meal is ready, and he then goes for forty days into the wilderness where he will meet God.

Sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do is to rest. Take a nap. Continuing to push when strength is gone is an exercise in futility. If the well is dry, you can pump as hard and long as you will, but you won’t get any water. 

So this afternoon, I napped. I can’t say that I feel more spiritual because of it, but I also don’t feel guilty, and tonight I am rested. Tomorrow is another day, and sooner or later, I’ll meet God.