Dear School Teams: Even Jesus Took Naps

You always know it’s December in a school when the building starts behaving like it’s had too much hot cocoa. Candy canes become the most dangerous stimulant on campus, shreds of wrapping paper migrate to locations no human can logically explain, Timmy’s locker has developed its own ecosystem, and puke buckets are lined up for the Christmas program like they’re part of the stage crew.

Teachers are moving a little faster. Students are vibrating at frequencies previously unknown to science. And school leaders are quietly calculating whether their coffee intake is still within the bounds of Christian stewardship.

But hidden inside the whirlwind is one of the most important leadership opportunities of the year:

THE MIDYEAR PAUSE.

Not a 30-second pause while the copier pretends to think about cooperating. A real pause. A reflective, restorative pause.

Let’s talk about why it matters, and why December actually sets January up for success more than any PD session you’ve ever sat through.

1. Reflection: The Midyear Debrief You Didn’t Know You Needed

By December, every school leader has lived enough of the year to identify patterns:

Some things went far better than expected.

Some things went exactly as expected.

And some things… well, we’re just going to thank the Lord for His patience and move on.

Reflection doesn’t have to be dramatic. There’s no requirement to sit in a dimly lit room holding a mug of tea while pondering the mysteries of existence. You simply ask:

• Where have I clearly seen God’s hand this semester?

• What loads have I carried that Jesus specifically told me He would handle? (Matthew 11:28–30 is basically written for school leadership.)

• What needs clarity before it becomes a full-blown chaos in January?

• What’s one thing I could tweak that would make life easier for my team?

Reflection isn’t about judgment–it’s about awareness.

It’s holding up the semester to the light and letting God show you what’s good, what needs adjusting, and what doesn’t deserve to follow you into next year.

2. Rest: The Leadership Skill That Terrifies Overachievers

Let’s address the great myth of Christian education:

“Christmas break is a perfect time to catch up on everything.”

No. No. No, it is not!

That is how leaders come back in January looking like they just survived a spiritual Ironman. 

On the contrary, this is your moment to fully commit: push the recline button like you mean it, pull your favorite Packers blanket up to your chin, and turn the TV volume to that perfect level where everyone else is annoyed but you won’t hear it because you’ll be unconscious in 90 seconds. Then enjoy the photos your kids take of you snoring with your mouth open like a tranquilized bear. You are doing the Lord’s work. Someday, they’ll recognize your sacrifice.

Scripture is unapologetically direct about rest. God modeled it on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2–3). Jesus stepped away from the crowds when life got noisy (Mark 1:35). He would’ve slept through stormy seas had it not been for his disciples' panic (Mark 4:38)! Rest is not optional. It’s commanded, modeled, and desperately needed.

And here’s the part no one tells you:

Your school will not collapse if you stop checking your email for a few days.

Rest looks like:

• turning off notifications

• letting your shoulders drop all the way back to their normal location

• enjoying your family without mentally preparing January’s schedule

• eating food someone else cooked

• remembering hobbies you had before becoming a professional problem-solver

• laughing–like, the kind of laughter that counts as cardio

Rest does not make you weaker. Rest makes you pleasant again. (Your team will notice.)

3. Return: Why January Belongs to Rested Leaders

Reflection gives you clarity. Rest gives you capacity. Put them together, and suddenly you start January like someone who actually chose this profession on purpose.

A rested leader:

• thinks more clearly

• makes decisions with the future in mind

• finds the patience they thought they lost somewhere in October

• has bandwidth for compassion instead of default annoyance

• leads with purpose instead of survival instincts

Psalm 23 reads, “He restores my soul,” not “He increases my tolerance for chaos.”
Soul restoration is not a luxury for leaders. It’s oxygen. 

And when you walk back into school with a restored soul, your entire ministry feels it.

A Blueprint Blessing for Your Break

You’ve given so much this semester: time, energy, sleep, and a respectable portion of your sanity. And you’ve done it mostly behind the scenes, where no one truly sees the late nights, the tough decisions, or the emotional weight you quietly carry so that others don’t have to. You showed up on the good days, the stretching days, and the days that felt like plot twists. Despite running on fumes, you kept leading with a faithful heart. Unseen faithfulness and quiet courage leave a mark. Others may not acknowledge it, but they feel the result of it. 

So here is your official Blueprint permission slip:

Pause. Reflect. Rest.
Let God do the restoring that only He can do.

January will be waiting. But you’ll meet it with clarity, strength, humor, and joy–the kind that comes from restoring your soul, not grinding it down.

Merry Christmas, and here’s to a second semester led by a restored, re-centered, deeply refreshed you!