Sadly, those Sundays are no more. I now have a kitchen to clean, groceries to buy, applications to submit, essays to write, chapters to read, etc, etc, etc. And for some reason, my body, though aware of my responsibilities, resists almost every effort I make to be productive. You see, it knows that as soon as my feet hit the floor, I will be hit with a wave of responsibility that will inevitably crash over me and drown me in a sea of have-to and need-to. My body puts up a good fight and demands that I stay in bed.
So we’ve compromised: If, on Sundays, I am still tired and not rested when I wake up, I am allowed to stay in bed as long as the hour space on the digital clock only has a single digit. Once it hits double digits (i.e. 10:00 a.m.), I’d have to be out of bed to start my day. Its worked out pretty well in the past few months, and we’ve all kept our end of the bargain. Until today.
My body has staged a coup, and despite the fact that I’ve been awake since 8 a.m., I can’t seem to find the energy to move. It is now 11:45 a.m. and I am losing the battle. I pull my computer close to me and by 12:32 p.m. have read three motivational articles and watched four inspirational videos in an effort to lure my body out of bed. It doesn’t work.
“Maybe I’m sick.” I think. I embark on an Internet search to discover the potential causes of my fatigue which results in my diagnosing myself with the following maladies: chronic fatigue syndrome, mononucleosis, thyroidism (both hyper and hypo), Gullain-Barr syndrome, Myasthenia gravis, as well as suboptimal electrolyte and potassium levels. This is not good.
So, I give up the fight and before I know it, it’s 2:30 p.m. I had fallen asleep. I get out of bed refreshed and wonder, “How long have I been at war with my body? Why was it my enemy? All it was asking for was rest.”
I realized then that my body wasn’t the only thing begging for rest. So I put away my to-list and decided to go for a walk. It was time to commune with the One who brings rest to my soul.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, NIV).
If you liked this, you make enjoy, A Sleepless Night | Why is Sleep Important?
Jael Amador writes from New York, New York.
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