sleep

Friday, October 22, 2010 (9:41 a.m.)

Blessed Lord God,

Sleep! Long. Deep. Restorative sleep. Thank You Lord. I don’t remember the last time I slept this soundly. Uninterrupted. And my first thought? Thank You God!

Lord, I like when I remember to thank You for the little things. I think I complain too much. That’s exactly why I say “Thank You” so often. Kind of a built in antidote for my tendency toward whining! Thank You God. Thank You that I know I am practically hardwired toward the negative. Thank You that the older I get the more I realize that even gratitude is a choice. I think I used to be more positive. Or was I really just more naïve? Didn’t I tend to look past or turn my head from things I didn’t want to see? Thank You Lord for helping me grow through the struggle of negativity.

Blessed Lord, You are incredible! Throughout my rambling here I’ve been wondering what any of this has to do with sleep. Long. Deep. Restorative sleep. As my mind keeps slipping over to ♫Sing hallelujah to the Lord…♫ I am searching Your Word wondering how complaining and sleep can possibly be related.

And here I am in the book of Psalms. A collection of 150 poems, written by people who were being honest with You.

So Lord, when I think I should censor myself here with You because my heart and my soul and my mind and my strength are all tangled up in knots over what I think and feel and am and do, all this is okay? I’m supposed to bring it all before You just as it is? I don’t have to figure it all out first? Clean it up and tie it with a pretty bow?

Nope. According to what I’m reading, the psalmists used these ‘to demonstrate that God is holy and loving and intimately involved in every aspect of our human experience’. Wow! God, You are amazing! And I thank You for every single little bit of insight I glean from time spent with You in Your Word.

Let’s take Psalm 4:4 and 8 that got me here in the first place. “Complain if you must, but don’t lash out. Keep your mouth shut, and let your heart do the talking… At day’s end I’m ready for sound sleep, For You, God have put my life back together.” How cool are You God? Perfect. Loving. Powerful. Mighty.

And just as I was preparing to close The Life Recovery Bible for today, the word ‘antidote’ jumped off the page at me. Under the title “The Necessity of Forgiveness” I read, “Many of the psalms are intense prayers asking God for forgiveness. What the psalmists discovered was that they could be open and honest before God about their failures, emotions, and weaknesses, because God had promised to forgive them. As we experience God’s forgiveness, we move away from our dependencies and feelings of alienation and guilt and move into an intimate and loving relationship with God. God’s antidote to our past – no matter what our failures and sins – is always forgiveness!”

Oh Your goodness Lord! Your sweet and glorious goodness! Thank You. I love You so much. Let me use Your love and forgiveness this day for Your good. Thank You. Amen.

(557 words ~ 11:40 a.m.)