Sleepless in Milton

Do you ever have one of those nights where you can't sleep? I have been sick for a few days and so I got the chance to go to bed early tonight. I was in my comfy PJ's by 9:30 pm and snuggled up under my covers. Oh what a treat I thought. I will get lots of rest and kick this cold. Well, the minutes ticked by and my mind would not turn off. For an hour and half I struggled to rest. My body wanted to sleep but my mind was like a spinning rolodex. Flip. Flip. Flip. Flip. Thoughts of things I needed to do were running like ticker tape across my brain. Not only thoughts of things that needed to get done but thoughts of things that might need to be done. Like if this happens then I will need to do this. Or if this happens I will need to look into this.

Do you ever have times where your life just gets plain complicated? Maybe it is complications at work that are causing you stress. Or maybe your health is making things complicated. Or one of your children is going through a rough time. Or maybe you are having trouble finding a sense of balance in your life? Or maybe you have to make a decision about something and you are not sure how it will all turn out. I think I am heading into one of those times where I don't know ahead of time how everything is going to work out. That is the reason for my restlessness. That is the reason I can't sleep. I need peace. Not just peace with a particular situation but the kind of peace that only Jesus can give. The peace that comes with knowing that He knows all the answers to any type of situation that may arise.

The apostle Paul wrote:"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard our hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Phillipians 4:6-7) I love this passage. It is the prescription for sleeplessness. It is how we "...Seek peace and pursue it." (Psalm 34:14). This is the answer to restless nights, churning stomachs, ticker tape minds that won't shut off, and worries and fears that continue to creep into our brains. We can go to our Father and tell him all about it. He will cover us in His peace that is better than any warm cozy blanket. His peace is the knowledge that He is in control and no matter what may happen He has already been working on our behalf. I love that about God.

I am off to "pray about everything" and then I am headed to bed.