Sleep in Heavenly Peace

I was traveling in Asia.  I'd spent time with a group in the Philippines and Hong Kong, and now I was on my own, returning to Japan to visit friends from my earlier years there.

My friend Fumiko met me at the station and took me to her home.  It was a condo she had purchased since I had last seen her.  With typical Japanese hospitality, she made me feel welcome in her home and cared for my needs.  She could see that I was having trouble staying awake -- getting myself from place to place was wearing me out.  So she opened the sliding paper door to the tatami room in the middle of her condo, pulled the futon (Japanese mattress and quilts) out of the cupboard, and made it up. I dropped into bed, the thick mattress on the cushioned tatami mat floor enveloping me, and snuggled under the beautiful, elegant covers. I fell into a deep sleep in that quiet room, and had no consciousness of time.  I can't remember a sweeter, deeper sleep at any other time of my life.  It was glorious.

When I think about Heaven, I remember that blessed sleep I had at Fumiko's.  The Bible says there is no night in Heaven.  Does that mean that there will be no need to sleep?  Oh, I hope not.  In the mansion the Lord is preparing for me, perhaps He will include a tatami room and a fresh futon where I can sleep from time to time, whether I need it or not.