It’s an amazing moment in the day of the toddler. After a busy morning of defending them from the world and the world from them, the parent begins to perceive that the toddler (or pair of them, in our case) begins to tire, eventually to the point where they will submit to the declaration that nap-time has indeed come. The blankets are retrieved from wherever they’ve landed, the pillows are momentarily straightened, and the kids plop back down into bed for a mid-morning nap.
For the parent, this is indeed a glorious moment. It is also a difficult choice. The to-do list calls, but so does the couch. Watching the kids doesn’t really allow a lot of other things to get done, so nap-time is a great chance to be productive and rattle some things off. It is no doubt the best time of the day to check things off the list.
On the other hand, it is also the best, maybe only chance to catch your own breath and rest a few minutes before the kids begin their post-nap onslaught. If you’re already out of energy, this might be the last chance to get a grip.
When I watch the girls (typically on Fridays), I wrestle with this dilemma each time. Am I going to join in on the napping, or am I going to get some stuff done.
There are a lot of things that are like toddlers, except less important. Urgent things call on my attention demanding me to trouble shoot, to divert from my plan, to play defense instead of moving forward with an intentional plan. It is amazing how much pressure there is on us to avoid getting important stuff done. The “Urgent” is indeed tyrannous, demanding so much attention and energy that when it finally sleeps, we don’t even want to mess with the important things we need to get done.
But, if I’m focused and ready, I can take advantage of the times when the Urgent takes a nap. If I’m focused and willing, in the gaps between urgent pulls on my attention, I can move the chains on intentional, strategic plans. I can redeem the gaps of time and leave more behind for the minutes God gave me today. ATT&T may think it’s stingy, but those minutes won’t rollover. I only get so many every month, week, day, and I have to decide what I’m going to trade them in for. If I can redeem the time when the Urgent is asleep, I can leave more behind in their place. It’s all about the stewardship of time, and I’m still working at getting better at it.
