What does God say?
I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.—Psalm 4:8
The sea otter spends almost all of its life in the water. Otters love to dive and splash and swim from morning to night. The otter’s favorite foods are abalone and sea urchins. These both have hard shells, but the clever little otter has figured out a way to crack them open. The otter finds a stone or smooth rock, tucks it under its front leg, scoops up an abalone or urchin, and then back-floats on the surface of the water with the stone resting on its tummy. Grabbing the shellfish, the otter smacks it against the stone until it cracks. Then he eats the juicy meat inside the shell. After all this hard work, the otter is tired. He makes his bed in the water too. The otter rolls up in a long piece of seaweed then falls asleep, cozy in the kelp blanket while the soft waves rock him to sleep.
Just like sea otters, children love to play all day. After running and jumping and climbing they get tired too. God knows that all animals and people need to rest. He wants us to get sleep so we can be healthy and happy. When we sleep, our bodies grow and get stronger. Playing and resting are both important.
What do you say?
• Can you find the sleeping otter in the picture?
• Where is your favorite place to sleep? What kinds of things do you sleep with?
• How do otters open the shellfish that they love to eat?
• Why do you think God wants all of his creation to rest?
