A Word of Encouragement

I love sleep. I’ve been a bit of a chronic insomniac for long periods of my adult life, so when I am having a good run of sleep, I really appreciate it! What I used to take for granted is now a source of thankfulness for me nearly every day.

One of the things I love about sleep is the rhythm built into every day of letting go, of realizing I’m finite (and that’s OK!), that it doesn’t all depend on me, that I can’t (and don’t need to try!) to hold everything. That daily reminder in the very tangible rhythm of sleep is a great blessing to a person like me who can tend to get too much into my own head, tend towards a bit of perfectionism and hyper-responsibility. The daily circuit breaker of sleep to that mindset is something I’ve embraced more and more the older I get. Yes, I do my best in the daytime, to use the time I’m given for good purposes. I take my responsibilities seriously and put in the effort I can and should. But then, once I’ve tried my best with the time I have, I can let go and embrace rest, refreshment, and leisure as the good gifts from God that they are.

So, after another big and disrupted term, my prayer for each of you is that in the coming holidays you each would enjoy a great time of refreshment and peace, a chance to refuel your bodies and minds, and to enjoy wasting some time with your loved ones. As you soak up this mid-year rest, may you know the gift of the Lord, in whom there is true and lasting rest.

Happy (almost!) holidays everyone.

Rev Karen Reid

School Chaplain