Guardians of the Galaxy 2 & Eternity

Kate Crawford
Apr 28, 2017
3 min read

I love sleep.

I love sleep so much that I will forgo doing really fun things just so that I can sleep. But sometimes I forgo sleep for the sake of getting things done.

Actually... the latter is more common.

Whilst I love sleep, I see and understand the necessity to sometimes take a raincheck on that early night or graciously give up that sleep in and push through until all those necessary things are done and then I can let myself sleep.

When I was 16, I was working at KFC as a "Chicken Specialist". One Saturday I'd worked a full 10 hour day, as a 16yo that's a long time. I got home and my dad was visiting. I remember sitting in my kitchen and dad asks if I want a cup of tea or if I want to go to sleep. Knowing how little I saw of my dad at that age, I retorted with a laugh, "I'll sleep when I'm dead".

I'll sleep when I'm dead.

When I was 19, as a new youth leader, I remember my very first team meeting like it was yesterday. We were sitting in our church cafe talking all things youth ministry in 2010. While talking about the dedication it took to be a youth leader, a leader that I admired spoke up and said, "At the end of the day, leaders do it tired."

Leaders do it tired.

Now I'm 27, in full-time university, doing full-time work, and ministry. Still living this ideology and am totally comfortable with the thought that, as long as I'm getting good grades and earn a living, "sleep can wait".

Sleep can wait.

When I'm building a career, I'm sure that pattern will continue. When I'm a mother, I don't think it will change.

Maybe into old age the need will fade, but I doubt it.

According to Britain's leading sleep neuroscientist, Dr Jim Horne, women need 20 minutes more sleep every night. Yet, we have an incredible ability to push through the sleepless nights, early mornings, uncomfortable pregnancies, snoring partners and show a sacrifice-all-to-get-things-done quality that makes us so special. I personally believe that this quality is why women were found at Jesus' tomb when He rose again.

We know when there's still more to be done.

This idea of sleeping when all else is done created the idea that rest is a luxury once, and only once, all is completed, all lists are checked off, and all ends are tied. And when we do get to stop, and rest, and sleep, it's treated as a reward for all the hard work. Finally.

BUT...

That's when I think about eternity.

Immediately, I feel tired and despaired.

When will I rest if I'm spending eternity awake, still alive, doing stuff? When will the list of things stop?

Not even when I'm dead and have come to the place of perfect completion?

Yes, I'll be with Jesus. Yes, I'll be worshipping the king of kings. Yes, I'll be face to face with my creator, comforter and saviour. And what an honour and joy that will be.

But in my mortal, limited thinking, it's still another thing on the list that's left to do... except this time it's for eternity.

And in all honesty, I always feel exhausted thinking about it.

I recently watched the new Guardians of the Galaxy (so. many. FEELS!)

Quinn (Chris Pratt) meets his biological father, who turns out to be this very cool (Kurt Russel) celestial being, Ego, who turns out to have a not-so-cool evil universal domination plan and wants Quinn to join him. At one point, Quinn finds out that he is immortal and will basically live forever. Quinn reacts saying, "Eternity? That's a really long time", to which Ego replies "Not when you have a purpose."

Not. When. You. Have. A. Purpose.

*time stops* *mics drop* *minds blow*

I was caught in a cinema, gobsmacked because the revelation of what eternity will look like hit me so hard I'm dumbfounded that I've never realised the simplicity of it before.

Purpose. Meaning. Reason.

Yes, it's another thing to tick off the list.

But it's the ultimate thing.

Yes! I'll be with Jesus! Yes! I'll be worshipping the king of kings! Yes! I'll be face to face with my creator, comforter and saviour!

"Come to me who are weary and I will give you rest" - if this is true in the natural realm how much truer will it resound in the heavenly realm.

Rest. Comfort. Peace.

Beyond the insistent list of never ending "things". Beyond the need to feel validated through busyness. Beyond the compulsive need to finish that checklist.

There will be time to stop.

And it will be with my King.

Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

-Matthew 11:28, NLT

Love and rest,