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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: WEAK (07/22/21)
I need a nap. If it hadn’t been for the warm July weather coupled with the cooler breeze and the lulling noise made by leaves rustling and birds sounding off in the distant, I may have been able to fend off the mind wandering, heavy eye lidding, and the abrupt straightening of my neck as it drooped near to meet my shoulder. It was an urge I simply felt too weak to fight. Other things of course called out to me. Dishes that needed washing and placed away neatly in cupboards. A floor that needed sweeping, clothes that needed laundering, weeds that needed pulling, grades that needed entering, performance narratives on students that needed completion, and kaleidoscopes that needed to be crafted for the children in my classroom. There were also the spiritual things I needed to do, a sermon to watch, Bible reading, and prayers that needed spoken. Grieving was also on my list as I had spent the last few days trying to manage differently, in a “healthier” way, I told myself, rather than crying because I missed someone so much that to breathe felt painful. And yet, here I sit in my outdoor rocker that I deliberately placed under a large maple tree with branches wide and dense enough to protect me from a brief rain if needed. There I sat as the sound of a train traveling down the tracks, blowing its whistle could be heard faintly. A pale blue sky and white marshmallow clouds drifted high above me as the urge to nap continued to overwhelm.

I finally give in and close my eyes. I can feel my heart beating and the sound of my breathing. Something peaceful washes over me and I feel that all will be okay. While it is true that dishes won’t wash themselves, there are always paper plates and while yes, I do need to wash bath towels, a clean pillowcase might work in a pinch, or I could drip-dry in all my glory. Yes, grades and performance reviews need to be written but isn’t that what burning the midnight oil is meant for?

The Bible tells us that to rest is well, essential. It is not a weakness to beat down but perhaps the thing that can strengthen and prepare us for the next chapter in the day, the week or the month and year to come. Days like this, where there is time for a nap, and where everything just seems beautiful in its own right; the smell of the air, the lightness of the breeze, the warmth of the sunshine, are respite for things that worry and trouble the heart that is wounded, tired, broken, confused, and uncertain just as respite can be a reward for a job well done, a place for dreams to take root or the quiet space where the Lord’s presence can drift into. Slowing down, respite, giving in to a much-needed nap, can bring renewal and a better perspective on life.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2 NIV).

In this very moment, I have been given a blessing, wrapped in nature and silence. A blessing and a gift to simply rest and close my eyes, to let the cares and concerns fall away if but for only a few moments. I will throw a load of clothes in the washer, eventually. I will push my hands into warm water and rub a cloth in soapy circles on a plate, later. I will get the grading done as I always have before. I will cry the tears as they come, perhaps even in my sleep as they sometimes do and realize that timelines for such things are better left undone. The kaleidoscopes for a group of seven-year-old children with worries and fears of their own brought on by adults they can no longer trust, frustration for not being able to express their feelings and because they are still strong and brave enough to dream. Ahh… yes, the kaleidoscopes stay at the top of my list; first thing after my nap.
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Ruthie Alekseeva
07/31/21
I like how you write. I could imagine in my head the things you were describing. I think a couple of sentences would be easier to read if they were shorter. Apart, from that, I didn't see anything that could improve your writing :)