Twenty Winks

Benjamin Franklin said, “Early to bed, early to rise will make a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” My dad must have lived by this quote because he was up with the chickens and went to bed with the sun. He worked hard all day long. He was never one for sitting idle.

Once, when he was heading out to the pasture, he jumped a small ditch and twisted his ankle in the landing. He came into the house and took his boot off. His ankle was the size of a baseball. He had no choice at that moment but to elevate and ice it. He was supposed to rest it for several days, but I recall the next day, he forced his foot into his boot and awkwardly hobbled back out to the barn. There was work to do for him, and no high ankle sprain was going to stop him. He believed if he were going to have anything out of this life, he’d better get to it. No one was going to do it for him.

I do not care much for idle time unless it has arrived from a productive day. However, I have come to appreciate the sound of quiet when nap time approaches for Eva Jewel. Taking a few minutes for myself to read or relax has become a welcomed reprieve from the wants and needs that lay just beyond the steady breathing of a toddler sleeping.

Chuck and I were in the negotiating stages of our new house just a few months back, and I anticipated that phone call that said: “Offer accepted.” I would wake up excited and plow through my day, teaching classes and taking care of Eva.

One day, on our way home, I had called to say hello to my dad or “Pa” as Eva lovingly calls him. Eva told him all about her morning, and I told him how antsy I was over the possibilities of getting the house we now call home. All of the sudden, Dad says, “Well sis, I am going to take me a little nap.” I couldn’t believe that in all my anticipation of this big moment we had been waiting on for months, my dad was going to take a nap! Shocked, I said, “Dad! How can you take a nap at a time like this!?” He responded, “Discipline.”

In the book, God is in the Small Stuff, the authors talk a lot about discipline. Satisfaction has a balance and balance comes from a life lived with consistencies. Most of the time, we want an abundance of possessions and immediate simplicities. Still, nothing worthwhile comes quickly and certainly not without discipline.

We find discipline affects every area of our life; The physical, mental, financial, relational and spiritual. It is so easy to get caught up looking for instant results rather than the small victories that help us win the battle. We all want money, and we want it now, but only a few put together a plan that achieves financial success.  We all want the perfect marriage and friendships, but very few put in the time it takes. We all want to look fantastic, but few eat less and exercise more.

My dad is an extremely healthy, successful, slightly older, but handsome man (he will like that part). He has spent his life staying disciplined. I would say he has even gotten better with age. My mother has too, but this story is about his naps, so I will stay on track. My dad’s hard work and no-nonsense kind of living has played an important role in his health. He knew when to stop and just take a nap.

It actually is kind of comical, because no matter the place, he would stretch out and place his cowboy hat or cap over his face and take twenty winks. I have seen the man drop his horse’s reigns and stretch out under a cottonwood tree or lay the seat back in the truck while waiting on my mother. It never mattered what was going on. He could be in a crowd or alone in the house, and all of a sudden, the sound of snoring would commence. He would be out in less than ten seconds and wake up in about twenty minutes with a renewed sense of duty for what awaited next.

His short snoozes never consisted of overly comfortable positions nor pure silence. It was always a position that could be easily interrupted and made for a quick reset, never a long shut-down.

My dad is a very patient man, and he should be after raising me. When a difficult decision rested upon his shoulders, he would do the oddest thing; take a nap.

He taught us girls never to make a big decision in a hurry. Let your mind have a chance to rest. It took me several years and many impulse decisions to understand the benefits of this principle, but now I recognize that a little perspective and a nap go hand in hand.

After I hung up with my dad that day, I noticed Eva had conked out in her car seat, while we rode home. I figured she had the right idea; no sense in wringing my hands, waiting for the phone to ring. I decided to rest my eyes, as well. It was hard, but I finally laid my head back against the seat and dozed off. I woke up about fifteen minutes later feeling refreshed. My head no longer had spinning wheels attached to it.

The long awaited phone call came that same evening, and we were the proud owners of our beautiful home. On two accounts, I had much to be excited about! One, because we now had a place to call home. Two, I had learned peace and patience mattered more than the phone call.

Welcome Home

“Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow.” Mark 4:38

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