Pajama Day

I am a person who loves sleep. When I climb into bed at night I exhale and smile.  I could argue that it’s because I am a working mother of three, or because I’m getting older; but according to my own mother I’ve always been this way.  As the story goes, if Mom heard me awake in my crib but needed to finish caring for my sister before she could get to me, I would just go back to sleep.

I also love pajamas.  In fact, one of my favorite days of the year has been dubbed “pajama day” in my house.  We are blessed to have many family members close by and have two full days of celebration on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.  I love that and wouldn’t trade it for the world.  However, December 26^th is always pajama day.  By definition, our pajama day is a day to stay home (usually in our pajamas, of course), relax, and spend time together.  The kids are required to stay home, but friends/family are welcome.  When the kids were young, this was the perfect opportunity to put together Legos, play the new board game, work on a puzzle, or watch a favorite movie.  As the kids have grown (they are now teenagers and young adults), the activities have changed, but the premise remains the same.  This year, we spent quite a bit of time watching old home movies…something we love to do, but normally who has the time?

The older my children get, the more precious these times together become because they are fewer and farther between.  Spending time together on pajama day and whenever we can has created many wonderful family memories over the years, and strengthened our relationships.  I think this premise carries over to all of our relationships—time spent together helps us know each other better and strengthens the bond between two people.  Our relationship with God is no different.  Although God is not human, he has created us in his image allowing us to better understand God’s desire for a relationship with each of us.  Whether that relationship is just developing, is going strong, or has hit a dry spell, setting aside time together with God will strengthen that relationship.  Even Jesus, God’s son and our Savior, took time away to spend with God.  In fact, Luke 5:16 tells us that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”

If you’re not sure what spending time with God looks like, be encouraged that there is no single “right way”.  The Bible is full of different ways God connects with his people as well as descriptions of God’s character so we can get to know him better.  For these reasons and may others, the Bible is God’s perfect tool to communicate with us and he often uses it to show us the way in the midst of our current situation.  One psalmist even describes scripture as a light to our path; think about how hard it would be to find your way in total darkness.  Talking to God through prayer and reading his word are a great foundation for time spent together.  If you don’t have a Bible, there are a number of on-line resources you can use including biblegateway.com.  I encourage you to find a comfortable spot, put aside distractions, and spend time with the one who longs to spend time with you.  No pajamas necessary 😉

 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.  Psalm 119:105

Cindy is a blog contributor and board member at Study With Friends Ministries.  She is married with three children.  For more on the Study With Friends Bible Studies, click here.