I am trying to remember the last time I did “nothing.” It may have been the last time I was down with a cold—the struggle of all the thoughts about everything I needed to do, but the body said no. By the time I got comfortable in the easy, slower pace, it was already time to get back to it.

Back when my husband and I went on a road trip, I would be asleep in no time. He would kid me about some kind of carbon monoxide poisoning on my side of the car. I finally realized one day, while getting in the car for a trip, why I napped: I was exhausted. All the packing, preparing, cleaning the house, making arrangements for pets… I had spent so much energy preparing for the journey that I had none left for the drive. I realized I napped because, for the first time in days, nothing else was calling for my attention—I was at the divine mercy of the nap.

At first, it felt welcome, but then I felt like I should find a way to be productive. Productive—somewhere along the way, the idea that rest is not productive took over. One of the biggest lies ever.

Rest might be one of the most productive things I do.

Rest is the place of being. The place to savor the things you’re working for. It is fuel for what is next. It is also the place of creation—the place where new ideas and insights show up, like a butterfly looking for a steady, safe place to land.

I am reminded that the Creator set aside a day of rest—it is that important.