Sleepless Nights—My 4-Step Solution

Eyes wide open, I turned to look at the clock on the nightstand, 2:18. I groaned, “Not again, why in the world am I awake at 2 in the morning? That’s the third night in a row. There’s nothing I can do at 2 a.m. to fix any of my problems, so why am I awake?”

Sleepless nights. We all have them at one time or another. Sometimes we’re awake because of pain, or hunger, or some other physical reason. More often, it’s our own mind, our thoughts waking us up, keeping us awake.

Just this week, I read not one, not two, but THREE different posts on Facebook from friends who struggled with not enough sleep.

In 2 Corinthians 11:27 the apostle Paul writes, “I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.” (NASB)

Awake in the middle of the night, I know there’s not a thing I can do to solve any of my problems. I’m not at work to earn money to pay bills, the household chores have either been done or must wait so I don’t wake my husband, and it’s certainly the wrong time to consult with any friends who might be able to help.

It’s just me.

Well, it’s me AND God.

I used to ask, “Why am I awake?”

But now I turn to my 4-Step solution for these sleepless nights. Mentally, instead of dwelling on the things I cannot do at 2 a.m. I,

• • Praise God for His amazing creation
  • Share thoughts of gratitude
  • Pray for the people whose names come to my mind
  • “Cast my cares” upon Him

Without fail, every sleepless night I take the opportunity to do these things, when I do  fall asleep, I rest well and waken refreshed, ready to meet the challenges of the new day.

The next time you’re confronted with a sleepless night, spend that time with the Lord. You won’t regret it.

It might even become the most productive part of your day.

“I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely,” Psalm 16:7-9 (NASB).

Self-driving Cars, the Way of the Future?

News reports of self-driving cars (presently with limited autonomous features) provide positive and negative information.

Image by Adam Pialasik from Pixabay

Negative

The technology is still in some initial stages and all the “bugs” haven’t been worked out yet

Wrecks occur

Positive

Advancements are being made every day and there are projections for fully autonomous vehicles in the future

The possibility of fewer wrecks because distracted driving will no longer be a factor

What does this mean for us?

Instead of driving our attention could be on getting work done, i.e. a mobile office for everyone who needs it

We could attend to our children and participate in family travel games

Maybe napping would even be an option

How does a self-driving car operate? I think it would work something like this—

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Similar to On-Star® technology there would be computer monitoring with signals transmitted by satellite

Remote access would allow us to turn the car on, have it drive over to the curb to pick us up (how convenient THAT would be), program in our destination and away we go

Now ponder this

A satellite that we can’t see, touch, or hear, operating far away providing the directions of

• • • When to go
    • Where to stop
    • What road to travel
    • How to avoid dangers by guiding us around other vehicles and obstacles

Autonomous vehicles on the road require us to trust our lives to computers and the satellites. Not always a bad thing. I mean we do have On-Star® and Alexis, right? The results provide evidence that it could work. Albeit, not perfectly.

But let’s go a step deeper, or maybe I should say Higher

God, whom we can’t see, touch, or hear, provides us with directions for

Image by FotoRieth from Pixabay

• • • Life choices
    • Moral decisions
    • Wisdom when faced with obstacles
    • Relationships enveloped in love

If we’re willing to trust ourselves to the technology of self-driving vehicles how much more can we trust ourselves in the perfect being of God. The evidence of creation proves the care and detail he takes in his work.

Maybe it would be awesome to have my car drive itself to pick me up without me walking through a downpour halfway across a parking lot.

But what is even more awesome is having God as my driver. He has a plan, knows where I’m going, and sees the path of travel. He guides me through the obstacles of life.

If you’re ready to trust technology to guide you, will you trust God as well?

“For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him,” Isaiah 64:4 (NASB).

One Like No Other

Shattered, broken, shards strewn everywhere. Whether it’s a dish that crashed to the floor, or overwhelming tragedies in life, still—shattered.

Drowning in debt, the loss of a loved one, or relationships falling apart often leave us feeling broken, useless, unworthy. Sometimes the broken dish can be repaired with some glue but usually it’s swept up and thrown into the trash. Devastating circumstances can cause us to trash ourselves, others, give up on any repair.

 

Yet, there is hope.

God uses these same challenging circumstances to mold us like a potter molds a lump of clay.

A potter places the lump of clay on a wheel and sets the wheel in motion. The clay is thrown in ever spinning circles. The potter’s hands encircle the clay, applying pressure in just the right places to form the shape he desires.

Sharp tools carve out designs, provide special features, help each piece become unique.

One like no other.

Our circumstances, good and bad, become the pressure and the tools in the Lord’s hands as He shapes us into the person He desires.

One like no other.

Just when we think that all is lost, hopeless, God reminds us that He is the Potter, and He’s not finished yet. He squeezes us, remolding, pinching off a piece here, and smoothing over a rough patch somewhere else. He changes us in a “do over.” To make us—

One like no other.

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand,” Isaiah 64:8 (NIV).

 

One Like No Other

Shattered, broken, shards strewn everywhere. Whether it’s a dish that crashed to the floor, or overwhelming tragedies in life, still—shattered.

Drowning in debt, the loss of a loved one, or relationships falling apart often leave us feeling broken, useless, unworthy. Sometimes the broken dish can be repaired with some glue but usually it’s swept up and thrown into the trash. Devastating circumstances can cause us to trash ourselves, others, give up on any repair.

 

Yet, there is hope.

God uses these same challenging circumstances to mold us like a potter molds a lump of clay.

A potter places the lump of clay on a wheel and sets the wheel in motion. The clay is thrown in ever spinning circles. The potter’s hands encircle the clay, applying pressure in just the right places to form the shape he desires.

Sharp tools carve out designs, provide special features, help each piece become unique.

One like no other.

Our circumstances, good and bad, become the pressure and the tools in the Lord’s hands as He shapes us into the person He desires.

One like no other.

Just when we think that all is lost, hopeless, God reminds us that He is the Potter, and He’s not finished yet. He squeezes us, remolding, pinching off a piece here, and smoothing over a rough patch somewhere else. He changes us in a “do over.” To make us—

One like no other.

“Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand,” Isaiah 64:8 (NIV).

 

Loose Terminal = No Power

Saturday my husband and I ran errands. We got into the car to leave the first stop and head to the second. The car wouldn’t start.

Nothing. Not even a click.

He looked at me, I looked at him, he said, “Go see if someone can give us a jump.” I got out of the passenger seat to go back inside Sonic to get help while he tried again. It started before I reached the restaurant door so I climbed back into the car.

Weird.

I finished at the credit union (Saturday hours are great), got back in the car. It wouldn’t start. Again nothing.

My husband got out, opened the hood and started checking things. I sat in the driver’s seat to test it when he asked. He wiggled this, adjusted that, but since all his tools were home, we still needed to get there. One final adjustment, he signals me through the windshield to turn the key. This time it started. Next few errands will have to wait for another day. We needed to get the car home before we got completely stranded.

In the driveway at home, Tony checked the car again, turning the key in the ignition.

Nothing.

He pulled his tools out of the garage and went to work. He found a loose battery terminal.

photo courtesy of Pixabay

Loose terminal = no battery power to the engine components.

The day before, Friday, I read 1 Chronicles, Chapter 13 about David moving the ark of the covenant. He didn’t follow the instructions God gave on how it must be transported, and bad things befell the men who were moving it.

“David was afraid of God that day, saying, “How can I bring the ark of God home to me?”
2 Chronicles 13:12 (NASB).

On the surface these two events are not related, yet how many times do we limit the power available to us, the power of God Almighty, because of our fear?

Fear is like a loose battery terminal. It impedes the flow of energy. It prevents us from drawing upon the power of God. Of course, we can’t manipulate God, but we can tighten our connections.

And just like my husband needed his tools to tighten the battery terminal we need our tools, the Scriptures, to keep our connection to God, and His power.

Update. The car is running fine.

Lord, how many times do I limit the power available to me through You by letting fear control my behavior instead of doing things Your way? Help me to learn from David’s mistakes and not repeat them.

Axe Heads Float?

Are you pondering what 2019 will bring?
I am.

Are you thinking about resolutions to make or changes to your lifestyle to incorporate?
I am.

Do you consult God during these mental exercises?
I do.

This morning, I read 2 Kings 6:1-7 (NASB). I’ve read the Bible through often, but I always learn something new. Or at least see something familiar in a new way. That’s what happened to me today.

The passage describes sons of the prophets who want to relocate to another area and build new homes for themselves. They invite Elisha, the prophet, to accompany them and he agrees. As they are cutting wood to build their homes one of the axe heads falls off and into the water. Sunken beneath the surface. He cries out to Elisha, “Alas my master! For it was borrowed.”

Elisha asks, “Where did it fall?” When the man showed him, Elisha cut off a stick and tossed it into the water causing the axe head (iron) to float. Amazing, right?
Then Elisha tells the man to “’Take it up for yourself.’ So he put out his hand and took it.” (2 Kings 6:7 NASB)

Ponder with me –

• Everything is within the reach of God. And, through His power—we can reach it too
• We cannot sink so low that God won’t bring us to the surface, if we ask
• Our lives are “borrowed”, but in our case the owner Himself reaches out His hand, restores us, and returns us to an “unbroken” state

Pray with me –

Father bless us with new visions and understanding as we seek to know You more fully through Your written word. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

What If . . . ?

 

I lose my job?

The car breaks down?

I get hurt riding my horse?

My children won’t listen?

There’s a bee in the flower?

What if . . . ?

---

Stop and think –

Many  things we worry about are preceded by  “what if?”

But, God’s plan for us is perfect because He is perfect.

“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope,” Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB).

We should still work hard at our jobs, maintain our cars, discipline our children, practice safety, etc. But we can be encouraged there are no “what if’s” in God’s plan. He is in control and since He is, we’ve no need to worry.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God,” Philippians 4:6 (NASB).

Let’s remember to trust the Lord and let go of the ‘what if’s.” His every decision, every action, is best for us.

He never struggles with doubts

No second guesses

His will is done with perfect love.

No “what if’s”

Stop to smell the roses, but watch out for the bees.

 

Being Seen With Christ

A man, or woman, can be recognized by the vehicle they drive.

My husband and I drive what I call, “his and her black Dodges.” If someone who knows us sees either of these vehicles they know at least one of us is nearby.

The Durango is recognized as my car only if someone has seen me with it, driving it, or getting in / out of it. If a person never sees me with that car they don’t know which one in the parking lot belongs to me. The car and I have to be seen together.

Reading scripture verses as follow-up to last week’s sermon a theme stood out in these words ─ united, together, fellowship, conformity, purchased, abide, and known. Words describing our relationship with Jesus Christ. But, to be recognized as belonging to Christ, we must be “seen” together.

A man can be recognized by his truck because of his relationship with that truck. They’ve been seen together. Can people recognize we are followers of Christ by our relationship with Him? Are we seen together?

Some of the verses:
Romans 6:4-5
Ephesians 2:4-5
1 Corinthians 1:9
Revelation 5:9-10
John 15:4-7
1 Corinthians 2:6

~Cindy Payne ©