Up in the middle of the night
Seldom did I wake up in the middle of the night when I was younger. This is not the case any longer. As we grow older, so does our responsibilities and with the responsibilities comes the worries.
“Do not worry,” Jesus said in the Bible.
“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
But it’s not as always easy as it seems.
In the quietness of the night, sometimes I get woken up, overwhelmed with different types of thoughts swirling in my mind. They differ from the worries of what I will do next to the worries of what I have done.
Worry never comes from the place of God. The Lord is the King of Peace. And we are being attacked by these kinds of thoughts so that peace may be taken away from us. Awake, I would lay in bed worrying and hoping as I prayed that soon I would just work my way back to falling asleep. But it never happened the way I planned. So, I would toss and turn, with my thoughts slipping away from the prayer back to the places of worry. And in the darkness of the night, everything seems so much worse than it actually is.
The Bible says to shine the light in to the darkness. God is light. So, one day I decided to follow the light and not just spiritually but physically as well. Instead of remaining in the bed, I got up and made my way to the kitchen and turned the lights on. I switched on the kettle to boil the water and made myself a cup of chamomile tea. Next, I prayed as I waited for my tea to cool down a bit. I prayed and shared with God all the worries that I had. I apologized for the things I wish I had done differently, asking for forgiveness and further guidance. I asked for advice and wisdom for the things I didn’t know what to do about. As I prayed the Holy Spirit gave me ideas, possible solutions to the issues. I jotted everything down because, believe it or not, I can forget them. It happened a couple of times, so now I always keep a notebook and a pen beside me. God actually has a lot to say sometimes, for which I am very grateful. Then I took my Bible and read some Scripture, as I enjoyed my chamomile tea. From that night on, whenever I am awaked by the worries in the middle of the night, I never stay in the bed. I always make my way to the light and to God.
Micah 7:8
“Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me.”
Don’t be shy to vent out all of your thoughts and worries to God. He wants to hear it all. He wants you to share it all with Him. He wants this type of relationship with you. And the Lord always has the best intentions towards you. He doesn’t want to see us suffering, hurting and in hardship. So, when you ask for forgiveness, wisdom and guidance from our God, believe that He is always there to help and take your worries away.
If you are like me, next time you wake up in the middle of the night, get closer to God instead of dwelling in thoughts and worries. This is how God will calm your soul and change your life for better.
Amen.
Live and rejoice.
