Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house,
there were piles of everything everywhere,
and an exhausted woman on her couch.
If you’re anything like me, the temptation the day after Christmas is to restore life back to what it was before the Thanksgiving-Christmas marathon began. However, if we ask our bodies what they’d prefer, our bodies would scream one word: REST.
Did you know that after a runner completes a marathon, Runner’s World recommends one day of rest per mile run? Since a marathon is 26.2 miles, that equals 26 days of rest before runners resume their training routine. Even if a runner feels good enough to get back out there, restarting too soon can damage the body’s tendons and soft tissue, leading to injury.
For 30-ish days between Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, many of our lives feel like a marathon. On Christmas night, we finally cross the holiday finish line and collapse on the couch. Yet, instead of resting the next day, we drag out of bed and stagger around our house collecting the holiday shrapnel of used wrapping paper, half-eaten plates of food, and dirty guest towels. The faulty promise we make to ourselves is that we’ll rest better once the mess disappears. In my Stronger Than Stress book, I explain it like this: “Humanity’s collective toxic trait is that belief that recovery after exhaustion is better than resting to prevent exhaustion.”
Who resonates with that?
This year, I pondered what Mary might have done the day after Jesus’ birth. The biblical text doesn’t tell how much time elapsed between Mary and Joseph’s arrival in Bethlehem and Jesus’ birth. All we know is that she gave birth while they were there. The next scriptural timestamp is on the eighth day after Jesus’ birth when He is presented in the temple.
What do you think Mary did for those eight days? Did she pull herself out of bed after little sleep with a newborn so that she could tidy up around the manger? Maybe Mary did a little sweeping because she felt lazy lying around. While this is all speculation, I invite you to get curious with me. While we aren’t privy to all the details of Mary’s days after Jesus’ birth, we are given a precious nugget into Mary’s emotional state:
“…but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.”
Luke 2:19 NLT
An essential aspect of our human experience is assigning meaning to the events that shape our lives. It’s here that I’ll vote that Mary did have some rest. Reflection is difficult, if not impossible, when we’re exhausted or living in survival mode. Yet, when we rest, we can savor precious moments and our brains can imprint long-term memories.
I want to think Mary let her body sink into a pallet of thick hay, covered with her traveling cloak, maybe Joseph’s, too. Since hospitality was a priority in their ancient culture, the nearby women might have supplied nourishing food and warm drinks to help Mary recover. At some point, Mary would have resumed her duties as a wife and mother, but I speculate that if Mary could reflect, it was because she took time to rest.
Here’s my takeaway: We devoted so much time and effort into making this Christmas special, what if today was a rest day? Not only could we begin to recover our strength, but we can also remember what made this Christmas special.
Rest is a gift that you can give your body and your spirit. Rest doesn’t need to be earned, but you do need to permit yourself to take it without guilt.
Let’s begin with rest recovery for your body:
- Check-in with your body: What’s sore, achy, or tense?
- What do you need to restart that you may have neglected during the holidays? (For example: more sleep, better diet, etc.)
- If your muscles are tense, what was stressful or overwhelming for you? Quick regulation tip: Inhale/exhale slowly five times to begin pushing stress out of your body. Do this several times today.
Next, here are three “pondering” prompts to help you savor what was precious this Christmas season:
- Who did you see this Christmas season that made you smile?
- Was there a fun moment, a funny moment, or a time when you laughed until you cried? What happened and who was with you?
- If you could freeze one or two moments from this Christmas and keep them in your heart forever, what would those moments be?
- Was there a part of the story of Jesus’ birth that resonated with you this year? Why?
- Fill in the blank: When I look back on Christmas 2024, I want to remember _______________________________.
As a get-it-done woman, I’m committed to rest on this day after Christmas to remember all God has done this season. Who’s with me?
Thank you for this Barb—it almost seems that we have to give ourselves permission to rest instead of just doing what comes naturally. Today, I’m going to take time and actually enjoy the company that is still here and not put lots of post Christmas expectations on myself (or them!). The questions you asked made me stop and ponder and I’ll continue to capture memories the rest of the week.
I love this message, especially ‘resting to prevent exhaustion’. I like to take time after Christmas and just hang out in our living room, do a craft or read, and enjoy our LIVE tree before we have to take it to the recycle place. There are times when I’m very tired and just have to get something done so I can relax, but enjoying ‘after Christmas quiet’ is not one of those times. Have a restful Merry 12 days of Christmas!
Dear Barb…Your words were so comforting and calming after another heartbreaking Holiday season. Alone is so very hurtful even though I know that Jesus and my Holy Spirit are with me always. I ask a favor Barb. I got this large package from Dayspring and in it was so many wonderful things, but I am sure I didn’t order them. Is this something that Dayspring / (in)courage women sent me to help me continue on? Is there a way you can get this message to Dayspring? I don’t know how, but if this is what your community along with Dayspring did as you all know a large part of my story, when I opened the big box, I cried as I had not received one gift this year or for that matter for many years. I give many people gifts or money if they are destitute. I have it and I can use it many ways to help people. I gave a large amount to my church as it is in financial distress. We are celebrating next year our 300th Anniversary. We are the 2nd oldest church in all this area. I am going to take a rest today to pray and try to get myself following Jesus’s path. God Bless whoever sent me this package of beautiful things. I have already read some of the books and of course looked at the Bible. Hope is what I need, and peace and joy and love will follow. I loved you devotion so much and I will do some of your suggestions. I would also like to get your book. How do I do that? Thank you so much, again as I love you all…………………Betsy Basile
I’m all about a pajama day, a good book and my cup of coffee to just rest.
I agree. Rest. I am still recuperating from open heart surgery. Needed to say no and rest. Positive, seeing my 22 month old grandson smiling and having a good time. God’s gift to our family. God bless, Judy
Barb so true what you said. It is about rest. When we look at the Bible in Genesis. We see the Lord made the Heavens and the Earth. On the seventh day he rested. So even our Lord rested. So that tell me we are to rest too. I know Ministers and Salvation Army Officers. That over did it because they thought they had to.To help the members in their Churches and help other Churches. Took on to much didn’t realise it. They thought they were just being kind and caring. Helping out in their own Church and others when they didn’t have a Officer or Minster. Then they took a break down as they over did it. I believe God is saying to all of us to only take on what we can cope with and not over do it.Take time out for ourselves to rest no matter who we are. To recharge our batteries. As if we don’t we are then no good to anyone let a lone God. As we have not with tiredness the strength to even spend time with God reading his word saying our prayers. As we have over done it. Sometimes over doing can make us unwell. God wouldn’t want that. I am the worst at resting. I don’t like to leave things in a mess or undune. I like to do things right and leave them tidy. No matter who I do it for even in my own home. As I see people who only do the basics. Then it monts up the bits that are not done that gets to me. As they will keep on piling up. So to avoid that I say Dawn just do it. I don’t think of my own rest or health. People and my Husband have told me not to do as much but rest more I do far much. I like everything neat and tidy. No matter if for me or someone else. To know I left it nice need and tidy. Not done just the basics. Especially if not for me. Then I leave when it done with a smile I done it right. Not let it mount up when the basics only done. I feel better for it. But it does affect my health. People as well as my Husband say Dawn you have to look after yourself health too. No one will care except me and God if you come ill because you over did thinking you have to do it to leave it nice and tidy no matter who it for. I asked God for others to do a we bit more in the other home I do home help for. So as I would have less to do and think of my health. But they just think of themselves. God knows all. God has told me not to be as fussy. So at weekends when I don’t go to the other person house. My Husband makes me rest for my own good. He is right to make me rest. It hard but I have too. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little Enniskillen Co.Fermanagh N.Ireland xx