Too Much of a Good Thing

Washing my hands. Preparing food. Hanging the laundry. All of these simple household tasks now have one more thing in common-oftentimes I find them very challenging! Why? Four reasons. Reese, Beretta, Artemis, and Avalanche. Or, as my husband named them at three in the morning the other night, the entire wrecking crew. In the fall my family (on purpose) acquired four 6-week-old kittens after putting our precious dog down. Now that they are growing and are working toward mastering the Olympic high jump, our lives have become much more complicated. I have to do a head count after throwing a load of laundry into the dryer just to make sure nobody snuck in. I shut the door while washing my hands, because the sound of running water apparently attracts Bengal cats and I’ve had 4 felines thirsty for the running water that came out of the spout.

It was Christmas Eve, and all I could think was how wonderful, how exciting, tomorrow night I don’t have to prepare for my job so I can “work” on my writing! It didn’t take my body long to say, “wait a minute. Are you kidding? I need a vacation too.” You see, I am Type A. I like to be busy. I like to work but I have a difficult time weaving down time into my schedule. Combine this with my love of writing, and lack of attention since the start of the school year, and we’ve got a dream staycation. The problem was, while my mind thought it was ready for it, my body was not. Too much of a good thing can still be unhealthy for us.

I know the holidays are over now, New Year’s resolutions made, and you’re ready to kick off the year running. But I want to encourage you to make sure you take time to rest too. God rested, and every week (not every month or every year), His people were commanded to observe the Sabbath, a complete day of rest. I still adore my precious kittens, but I’ve had to learn how to shut the door so I can wash in peace. What are some ways you can shut the door so you too can find blessed times of rest?