I'm Thankful for Rest

Each day until Thanksgiving, Everyday Truth is looking at a different reason to be thankful in a family devotional. Use these devotionals with your kids to help keep your family focused on giving thanks. If you missed the introductory post, check it out here for directions on creating a "Thanksgiving wall." When you're done with the devotional head on over to the Everyday Truth Facebook page and join in the discussion of why we're thankful for rest.

I bet you love it when mom or dad says, "It's bedtime." You probably rush off to put on your pajamas, hop right into bed and exclaim, "I love to go to bed." No? That's not the way it happens in your house? Bedtime isn't something you find exciting?

Most kids I know don't really like to go to bed. I don't know about you, but my kids always find one more thing they absolutely must do before they can go to bed. And don't even think about trying to get them to take a nap!

We don't always like to rest, even when we need it. But our bodies need rest. They need time to rejuvenate from going to school, playing with our friends and participating in sports and activities. God didn't design us to be able to go, go, go all the time.

How do you feel when you stay up too late? You probably yawn a lot and you may start getting a wee bit cranky. Those are our bodies signals that we're tired, and we need rest.

Did you know that God rested? The Bible tells us after God created the world, he took a day off. "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." (Genesis 2:2)

Now, do you think God needs to rest? Of course not. He's God. He never gets tired. So why do you think He took a day off? I think He wanted us to know it's OK to rest. Our bodies need it.

Rest comes in many forms. It's not just sleep. Sometimes we just need to go in our rooms and be by ourselves for a little bit. Sometimes we need to take a nap. And sometimes we need to just sit still for a few minutes.

Think about how good you feel after you've had a good night's sleep. That good feeling comes from being well-rested. So, the next time mom or dad says "It's time for bed," remember that God created us to rest. Your body needs some downtime. Be thankful you have the opportunity to sleep.

Thank God for creating times for our bodies to rest. On your Thanksgiving wall today, write down your favorite way to rest. Maybe you like to sleep. Maybe you like to sit and read a book or watch a movie. Write it down and stick it on the wall. Be thankful God set an example of how to rest.