Diane to God:

Dear God, I have a question about tiredness. Lately, after experiencing some lovely days, at about 4:30 p.m., I feel so tired I could go to bed for the night. It feels like a good tiredness, like a total relaxing after accomplishing a task that required much energy. Will You help me understand this? I have so much more I would like to be conscious for in a day's time. I would like to feel energetic until 9 or 10 p.m. Anxious for Your insights. Thank You for ALL the blessings.

God to Diane:

Diane, Diane, so you want to be in charge of your cycles of rest! And why do you want this? So you can accomplish what you wish. Do you not think that much is accomplished in sleep?

Diane, once before you had an idea in your mind about rest, and that was that you should wake up in the morning raring to go, pop up like a piece of toast and meet the day. What other ideas do you have, and where do they come from. Are they Mine or yours?

Do I detect that you make judgments here, that it is good to be energetic until 9 or 10 p.m., not so good to get tired at 4:30 in the afternoon?

Why not stay wide awake until midnight? Or why rest at all? Why not forget rest altogether and work all night? Then you wouldn't even have to be slow about waking up in the morning because you would already be up.

Rest and sleep are more than the body refueling. Much goes on in sleep. Start thinking of rest as a foundation for activity. Activity isn't better than rest. We are talking energy here, Diane. Is spending money always better than adding interest? Is extending energy always better than intending it?

Do not rate or berate yourself on outward accomplishments. There is also inward accomplishment. There is silent accomplishment. There is groundwork before accomplishment. Accomplishment is a tiny thing to check off.

For you, dear Diane, consider that you have made great accomplishment on a day when you have accomplished nothing.

What would be so cataclysmic if you did go to bed for the night at 4:30? Could your husband feed the boys? Could the world go on without your supervision? Would something happen to the world if you let go of your hold on it for a while?

Are you a better person if you are energetic until 9 or 10? Are you a lesser person if your body tires at 4:30?

On the obvious level, dear Diane, rest before your body tires. Take a nap at 2:00. Then you may not be tired at 4:30.

Something does not have to be wrong or less because you need rest earlier than you deem appropriate.

There is a much bigger issue here than what time you go to bed.

I approve of rest. I give you permission, Diane, to rest. I give you permission not to accomplish. I give you permission to take days off for yourself alone. Fun unproductive days. Why not?

There is an expression about driving yourself, driving yourself too hard. I say, Why drive yourself at all? You have a God Who is perfectly willing to drive and take you around and show you the sights. Let me steer the boat of your life, dear Diane. Let go of the wheel. Let Me take over. Let Me sail the ship of life. I will push and pull you just enough. Leave yourself alone. Let yourself be. Make your task be to see that you enjoy and that you get all the rest you need. You have the choice to rest. It is a good choice, especially for you, My Diane, because of your beliefs. You have to let go of some of them. Maybe all. Maybe start over and have no beliefs. Begin innocent.

I show My love for you in many ways. One of them is to tell you to take it easy. Put yourself before accomplishments. Accomplishments are world things. You are Mine. It is My wish that you honor and take care of what is Mine.

Dear Diane, this is not to say that I am unappreciative of all you do. It is to say that I am more appreciative of you yourself — Diane before her accomplishments. Rest is as good as activity. Sometimes it is more. More is accomplished in rest than you can imagine. For you to rest is an accomplishment.

Whether in activity or in bed, rest assured that My love for you is inviolate. My love for you is yours. You have it. You don't have to earn it. You already have it. So be My love and rest in Me.