Christian Counseling - Permission to Relax

This past weekend, we were pounded by snow. For some, as much as 2 feet of snow fell on their homes. I have spoken with many people about how they spent their 2 days in the snow. I heard many stories. There were stories of neighbors helping one another. Others braved the snow to finish their shopping, while many took the opportunity to simply relax. I heard from several people that the snow gave them "permission" to relax. It made me wonder why we feel we need "permission" to relax?

During this time of relaxation, people told me that they watched movies, cooked dinner together, played games with their families, curled up with a good book, and even talked together for hours. For others, including myself, in addition to the indoor activities above, there were sleds, snow balls, snow men, and digging (too much digging). Other than the snow activities (which would look strange without snow), are not the things we do to spend our time when we are snowed in activities we could and maybe should be doing more often. Why is it that many of us need to be forced to relax? God rested after he created the world. If it is good enough for God, it ought to be good enough for us. Yet, many people feel they do not have time to relax. They approach relaxation as a luxury rather than a necessity. I believe, and have come to believe it more each day, that relaxation and rest is a necessity. Lack of sleep and increases in stress are both associated with higher mortality rates. As I have tried to pack 28 hours of activity into 24 hours, I have come to realize that God was right all along. Remember what James Earl Jones said in "Field of Dreams". When asked why people would pay to see a baseball field in Iowa, he said, "for it is money they have and peace that they lack."


What did you do while snowed in this past weekend?