Dealing with Sleepless Nights

Sleepless nights... OH HOW I KNOW THOSE! They say it has something to do with age. I don't always agree with "they". Sometimes I'm wide awake due to over-stimulation from a full day. Sometimes I'm wide awake over-thinking situations or planning an upcoming event. Whatever the reason... I am quite familiar with sleepless and restless nights. (But, I have a theory on that.)

My approach to sleepless or restless nights is first to spend some time in prayer about other people & their needs. I also give thanks for blessings that I saw that day. I recite scriptures that I've memorized and recall lyrics to songs that have blessed me before. 

Two of my "Go To's" on the nights when sleep eludes me:

1. The lyrics from "Jesus, King of Angels" by Fernando Ortega. His lyrics are such a sweet reminder of God's vastness and His intimacy walking hand in hand. 

Jesus, King of angels, heaven's light,
Shine Your face upon this house tonight.
Let no evil come into my dreams;
Light of heaven, keep me in Your peace.

Remind me how You made dark spirits flee,
And spoke Your power to the raging sea.
And spoke Your mercy to a sinful man;
Remind me, Jesus, this is what I am.

The universe is vast beyond the stars,
But You are mindful when the sparrow falls,
And mindful of the anxious thoughts
That find me, surround me, and bind me...

With all my heart I love You, Sovereign Lord.
Tomorrow, let me love You even more.
And rise to speak the goodness of Your name
Until I close my eyes and sleep again.

The universe is vast beyond the stars,
But You are mindful when the sparrow falls,
And mindful of the anxious thoughts
That find me, surround me, and bind me...

Jesus, King of angels, heaven's light,
Hold my hand and keep me through this night.

2. Psalm 4:8 is a favorite verse to recite when those sleepless night try to captivate me... 

"I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8 NKJV

What do you do on the restless nights?

Linked with the Nesting Place community through the write31days challenge, October 2014 - post No 18.

HOPE, Insomnia 10-08-13

Don't ask me why I've had trouble sleeping that past 4 nights in a row!!! I haven't been preoccupied with any troubling thoughts. I haven't been nervous about something looming in the near future. And, I didn't have had too much caffeine any of those days. It probably has something to do with October 10th (my DOB) and a dirty, little, 3-letter word... AGE. Perhaps it's a gender thing, as well. It would appear that as we women celebrate more birthdays, many us begin having trouble sleeping through the nights. 

Great companion on sleepless nights:
Ceramic by my daughter;
light from my son.

I love to sleep. Over the years, I've been the one who could sleep anytime, anywhere... and through almost anything (even loud parties in my college dorm room - back in the day). I've been blessed to be able to get rested when I sleep - regardless of what's happening in my life. I thank God for that!!

As I woke up abruptly at 2am early this morning, after less than 3 hours of sleep, I thought, "Seriously, is this becoming the norm?" I was frustrated immediately but, caught myself knowing that frustration wasn't conducive to going back to sleep. On the nights that I don't sleep through the night, I get an opportunity to read my Bible without any interruptions and keep up with the great devotionals I receive via email. Since I volunteer & communicate for 3 ministry groups at my church (Women's Ministries, our church choir & our church orchestra), I love to save great quotes, notes & scriptures.

Last night, after reading my Bible & numerous devotionals... and after Facebook chatting for awhile with another mother who wasn't sleeping... I came across something I'd saved to share with others at a later date. It was perfect for what I needed in the wee hours of the night:

"At night, find comfort in My names: Shepherd, Savior, Immanuel, Prince of Peace."  ~ Sarah Young, Jesus Today: Experiencing Hope Through His Presence 

Upon seeing that quote, I turned off the light & began thinking about all those names... Lamb of God, Good Shepherd, Sacrifice, Savior, Immanuel, Son of Man, Light of the World, Friend Who Sticks Closer Than A Sister (you know what I mean), Deliverer, Finisher of Our Faith, Cornerstone, Prince of Peace...

Sleep came within minutes. I woke up this morning, having gotten about 5 hours of sleep, yet feeling as though I'd slept 10 hours. AND, I have a theory on that. It's a thought that came to me in my college days when keeping up with 3 jobs & a full course load & a possibly-too-full social life. I remember thinking that if God could actually do anything, why couldn't He rest my body in any amount of time, no matter how small, as if it had rested for 8+ hours. Since then, on restless nights, I just ask God to rest my body completely in the time I am able to sleep regardless of how little. 

Why couldn't He? He's God, after all. He's bigger than insomnia!

His promises... 

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine." Isaiah 55:8

Linking October 2013 with The Nesting Place

 for the 31-day Challenge

Me... The motivated, effective person

I'm reminded daily (okay, multiple times daily) that I am a very flawed individual. Thankfully, the Lord constantly reminds me, when I'm seeking His direction in all that I do, my "flawed being" can & will be used by Him. That doesn't make me perfect OR make everything I do just right. But, it does give me the assurance that God is at work in me moment by moment... to convict, to make pliable, to mold & shape... to use in His big plan. One of my nieces who is attending AU posted a great quote a few days back on Facebook. It really spoke to me:

"If we have the idea that we have to put on our 'spiritual face' before we can come near to God, then we will never come near to Him. We must come as we are." - Oswald Chambers

In a recent 4-day holiday weekend, I awoke in the wee hours of the morning every single day. Yep, on the days when the LOML (aka hubby) could sleep in beside me, I was wide awake before 5am! The motivated, effective person would get out of bed & get a jump start on the day. That's not me though -- at least not lately. So, I quietly stayed in bed, reading all the devotions I get via email in my FOUR accounts. I saved quotes, copied photos & read passages of the Bible related to each devotional. I refused to get up & about totally. I chose to catch a few more minutes of shut-eye when my body became sleepy again - usually around 7 to 8am. Then, I let my husband be my alarm clock when he woke up & made coffee for us.

I could have fretted about what I did & beat myself up for being so lazy. If I told my MOTHER about what I'd done, she'd lower her head & shake it in shame. And, to be honest, I should have used some of that time to do a few other things... but, I didn't. The choice I made gave me the opportunity to call out to God & move forward. God uses even our wasted time when we give it over to Him :) And, sometimes our wasted time isn't really that wasted in God's eyes.

I love God! He's all about grace :)  I want to be like that too, recognizing that God is working for good in all situations - even the horrendous ones.

There's Comfort in the Shadows

I sit here - on the living room couch (gifted to me when the neighbor got new furniture) by the light of two 4 watt bulbs and find comfort. Comfort in the sound of the ticking clock above the fire place. Comfort in the long shadows cast by the ceiling fan & the legs of the farm chair handed down 4 generations. Comfort in the warm kitty curled up & sleeping peacefully on my legs for the past 2 hours. Comfort in the lingering thoughts of the peace found in God's Word on this & other sleepless nights. Comfort in the hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen just past the wall. Comfort in knowing that my loved ones are tucked in their beds fast asleep here - on this night.

I am blessed beyond measure with my "comfortable" life. Yes, there are trials to come with the day - illness to battle, broken relationships to be mended, lost souls needing You. These sleepless nights are bothersome - at the very worst. But, God brings comfort. In this moment, my thoughts & prayers go out to those who have no comforts which I often take for granted.

Dear God,
Bring Your comfort & peace to those who find little comfort in their lives. Make us mindful of your bountiful blessings upon us. Open doors for us to share those with others. On sleepless nights, bring peace & safety to all of Your children. As daylight comes bring guidance & strength.

Amen

Wide Awake Nights

Lately there are a lot of us walking around with "smart phones". My phone is about 3 years old & 3 generations OLD but, I can still access some great app's (applications) on it. If I could only choose one - just ONE - it would have to be the YouVersion Bible app. I don't know how many nights I've woken abruptly in the night for no obvious reason. I love the fact that I can grab my phone & read God's Word. 

Last night was one such night.  I read Psalm 63:6, "I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night." I was able to take time to talk with God; thank God for His faithfulness in my life; lay my requests at His feet; pray for friends who were on my heart... just BE in His presence!

If we are going to be WIDE AWAKE... we might as well be doing something good :)

(written 10/01/11)