Hey there, Mama 🤎

I have always considered myself a night owl.

As far back as I can remember, especially through my teen and young adult years, my brain seemed to wake up right when the world went to sleep. The house gets quiet. Everyone is down for the night. And suddenly I can focus, think clearly, and get things done.

Sometimes I wonder, why does my brain turn on so much at night?

I think part of it is that no one needs me. The house is still. For the first time all day, I can hear myself think. (Or maybe just perimeopause.🤷🏾‍♀️)

Whatever it may be, I’m now in my mid-40s and I’m realizing I may still be a night owl at heart, but the night owl life doesn’t work for me like it used to. I work during the day. And when I stay up late chasing that quiet, focused time, my mornings pay for it. I don’t get the jumpstart I want. I’m foggy and slow, and I’m dragging myself toward a productivity I know I’m capable of.

I also recall something my husband told me one night as I was moving hastely to get things done. He looked at me and said, "Karen, the Word of God says it is vain to rise up early and stay up late.”

He was right. And if I’m honest, I still need that reminder.

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Devotion: Rest Is Not Wasted Time

Scripture

“It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.”​
​— Psalm 127:2​

Let’s sit with that last part for a moment.

“He giveth his beloved sleep.”

Sleep isn’t something we have to earn. It’s something God gives to those He loves. Yet so many of us moms treat sleep like the first thing we’re allowed to give up. We stay up late because it’s the only time that feels like ours. We scroll, binge, catch up, tidy, plan, or just sit in the quiet. And I understand why. When your whole day seems to belong to everyone else, those midnight hours feel like a small act of freedom.

But the Psalmist uses a strong word: vain.

Vain means empty. It means the effort doesn’t produce what we hoped it would.

When we run on too little rest, we aren’t getting more done. We’re borrowing from tomorrow. We lose focus and patience. Small things start to feel overwhelming, and burnout creeps in quietly.

I’ve learned that burnout rarely begins with one big collapse. It usually starts with ordinary choices that slowly drain us, like trading rest for just a little more time to ourselves. And Mama, here is the truth I keep coming back to: God created our minds and our bodies. He knows how He designed them to function. Rest is part of His design, not a flaw in it.

Taking care of your body so your mind can fully function isn’t selfish. It’s stewardship. It’s honoring the vessel God has entrusted to you so you can serve your family, your calling, and your work with a clear mind and a full heart.

And if you’re craving time alone, that desire isn’t wrong. You need quiet and space, and God sees that. But maybe the answer isn’t stealing it from your sleep. Maybe it’s learning to carve it out during the day, in small, intentional ways, so your nights can become what God designed them to be: rest.

You are His beloved. And He wants to give you sleep.

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Take a Moment to Reflect

Take a few quiet moments with the Lord today.

Ask yourself:

• Am I staying up late because I need to, or because it’s the only time I feel like I have for myself?
• How is my lack of rest affecting my mornings, my focus, and my attitude?
• Where in my day could I carve out even 15 minutes of true quiet so I’m not relying on midnight to find it?
• Do I believe that rest is a gift from God, or have I been treating it like a luxury?

Remember this:

God isn’t asking you to do less because He doesn’t value your work.

He’s inviting you to rest because He values you.

Pray: Father, thank you that I am your beloved and you give my sleep. Help me to be wise and never take it for granted. Show me how to implement rest and sleep into my day so I can better care for the mind and body you've blessed me with. In Jesus name. Amen.

How Burnout Affects Your Job Performance and Parenting: What Every Working Mom Needs to Know Burnout doesn’t stay at the office. Learn how it affects your job performance and parenting, plus practical, faith-filled steps to start recovering. Read the full blog here.

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Mom Tips: For Sleep & Rest

🤍 Set a “lights out” reminder. Pick a realistic bedtime and set an alarm for it. Sometimes we just need a gentle nudge to wrap things up.

🤍 Steal small pockets of quiet during the day. Try 10 to 15 minutes during a lunch break, nap time, or while the kids are busy. Protect it like an appointment.

🤍 Create a wind-down routine. Dim the lights, put the phone down, pray, journal, or stretch. Tell your brain it’s safe to slow down.

🤍 Do your hardest thinking when you’re strongest. If you’re sharp at night but foggy in the morning, plan lighter tasks for the morning and save deeper focus work for the part of the day when you feel most alert, as long as it doesn’t cost you sleep.

🤍 Offload your mind before bed. Keep a notepad by the bed and write down tomorrow’s to-dos and any racing thoughts. Hand them to God and leave them on the page.

🤍 Give yourself grace. Changing sleep habits takes time. Start with one small shift this week, not a total overhaul.

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Faith-Filled Affirmation For the Week

"Today I choose rest over restlessness. God has not asked me to exhaust myself to prove my worth. I am His beloved, and He gives me sleep. I will care for the mind and body He has entrusted to me, find quiet in the middle of my day, and trust that His peace is enough for tonight and for tomorrow."

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Closing Encouragement

Mama,

You don’t have to squeeze every last drop out of your day.

You don’t have to sacrifice your sleep just to feel like you’ve had a moment to yourself.

You don’t have to burn out to prove you’re faithful.

God sees how hard you work, how much you carry, and how deeply you love your people. And He is gently reminding you that rest is not wasted time. It’s part of how He restores you.

This week, I pray you’ll trade late-night striving for peaceful rest, and exhaustion for the energy only He can give. 🌙

With love and encouragement,
Karen 🤎

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Additional Resources:

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