Lying down in peace

"When you lie down you will not be afraid; when you lie down your sleep will be sweet." Proverbs 3:24

What a perfect verse for a Friday night of an exhausting week! Our days are so busy. Between waking up at 5:00, getting a family ready for the day, teaching 7th graders, and coming home to a busy, bustling family, when do I rest? When weeks are excessively busy, I find it difficult to sleep. Throw in a few stressful situations and I am in trouble. Do you find that you can push thoughts off all day but at night the fears creep in? I was even like this as a child. If I was upset about a situation, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. My mom knew that if I called her in after bedtime that I was mulling something over that was bothering me greatly. Some things never change!

When the house is quiet and I am alone with my running mind, it can result in anxiety. Perfect example: Last year I woke up in the middle of the night, panicked that I forgot to pay the water bill. Now, it is 3 a.m. and nothing catastrophic is going to happen. But, my thoughts swirled out of control and I wasn't able to go back to sleep. I was a wreck the next day at work-tired, irritable, and no good to anyone. (oh, and I had paid the water bill earlier that month) That is a silly example but don't we all have moments like that in which we fear something that we are powerless to fix in the moment?

I want my sleep to be sweet, refreshing, and allow me to be ready to serve God wherever He has me the next day. If the enemy can derail us from that sweet sleep, he wins for the day. It is very difficult to serve Christ when we are overly-fatigued. Trust me, this steps all over my toes because I am a night owl. I definitely enjoy my evening time, but at what cost? Is it impairing my ability to serve God and others well?

Please Lord, allow us to rest well tonight so that we can serve and love others well tomorrow.
Remind me to bring my anxieties and worries to you before my head hits the pillow. Please grant us sweet sleep. Thank you for loving us well.
Good night, all!