I was talking to one of my friends from SWAU yesterday and she was telling me about her busy schedule. She works many hours a week and goes to college full time. She seemed like she was having a long, tiring week. I asked her to help me with something for vespers. But I told her if she needed to skip vespers to rest or take a nap, I would understand.

She said she rests so she can come to vespers, church, and Sabbath afternoon spiritual activities. She has her priorities in the right order. She doesn’t skip religious programs to take naps but actually finds time to “rest up” for the programs. She wants to be fully rested and awake during the programs.

Her way of thinking challenged me. Many times I’m tempted to nap long hours (or sleep in) on Sabbath and skip religious programs and activities because I want to be fully awake during Saturday night activities. But my friend rests before religious events so she can fully participate in them. Instead of looking at Sabbath as a time for “lay activities” (taking naps), she sees it as a time to be involved with the church and to know God better through religious services.

I saw her at Friday night vespers and asked her, “Did you take any naps today?” She said she took three naps: a thirty minute nap, an hour nap, and a two hour nap. That’s three hours and thirty minutes of napping in one day! I thought, wow, she really is serious about “resting up” for religious activities.

Semi-related link: Napping – an important spiritual discipline