When I was a kid, I hated sleeping and tried to stay up as late as I could. There was so much to do. When I got into High School and College, there was even more to do, and sleep would eat up so much time. When I started farming, I felt confident I could function fine on six hours of sleep. When I began Pastoring and needed to work on the side to pay all the bills and help parent eight kids, I rarely got more than five hours of sleep each night. It went that way through much of my life. I would sleep in on Mondays and felt I got caught up. When I was up in Alaska fishing each summer, I hated to miss fishing time because of sleep. I would fall asleep in my chair in the cabin with my waders on, and after two or three hours, I was back in the river. Then I hit 70 years of age. Now I love sleeping. It feels so good in my nice, warm bed. My joints and muscles don’t ache, and I never worry, fret, or have bad dreams. If I don’t get at least eight hours of sound sleep now, I feel like the whole world is off its axis. I like it when I can get nine or even an occasional ten hours of sleep, now that is a blessing from God. But occasionally, I feel guilty for sleeping so much, especially when reading some Bible Proverbs.

Proverbs 19:15 Laziness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle man will suffer hunger.
Proverbs 20:13 Do not love sleep, or you will become poor;
Proverbs 24:33 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, then your poverty will come as a robber and your want like an armed man.

When it comes to fishing or hunting or some other special events I can revert back to my old self and can blast away on a few hours of sleep, but not for to many days. Then I like to get back to my new standard of nine hours of deep, restful sleep. My, oh my, how good it feels. 

I have started looking at my indulgence in sleep now as a blessing from God, a reward for all those years of little sleep serving Him. That is what heaven will be, a rest from the struggles of this life. Life is good and heaven will be so much better.