“Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat- for He grants sleep to those he loves.” -Psalm 127:1-2
“…when you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down your sleep will be sweet.” -Proverbs 3:24
Some of us (me, included) have the gift of easy sleep. When my head hits the pillow I drift off into rest and restoration quickly; the pillow is not even required. Others of you are challenged in this area. We feel our weakness and need for restoration every night when we lay our heads down. Each night our minds unwind, our bodies restore and we prepare for another day of productivity and purpose. Edgar Allen Poe has been credited as saying, “Sleep, those little slivers of death. How I loathe them.” Some of us wish that we were never weak and could just go, go, go.
Research studies have shown that increased gratitude leads to deeper and more satisfying sleep as well as overall well-being. Have you made a fundamental shift during our MONTH OF GRATITUDE? Do you enjoy any new habits that lead to a grateful spirit? It’s not too late to get serious about counting your blessings every day. If you don’t journal about anything else please consider journaling a daily prayer of thanks to God. Start today and continue until Thanksgiving. See what happens in your heart if you do.
It’s been rewarding for me to have a gratitude focus each of these last 31 days. I must admit, at times, I thought I was crazy for committing to this in a sermon over a month ago, but I’m glad I did.
To those of you who have been following this exercise please let me know how it has helped you and what you have learned. Email me at jay_kelly@mac.com.
HOMEWORK: Give thanks to God for his perfect plan. Our need for sleep humbles us daily and reminds us that we cannot push ourselves beyond very specific limits. We need to be recharged and restored. We need Him; we need rest.
Have fun growing in gratitude today. Hope this helps.
Remember that tonight is the end of daylight savings. Our clocks “fall back” one hour and we get an extra hour of sleep tonight.
Love you,
-Jay Kelly
PS, Happy Halloween! I obviously loved being a cowboy for Halloween. I've always cherished those second amendment rights. Have a wonderful holiday!
1 comment:
I too have this easy gift of sleep. Lights on, no pillow it does not matter to me. My mind before I was baptized would wander and I would have a hard time getting comfortable. But, over the last 14+ years I have learned to rest. Thank you Jay for the countless lessons over the last month. I am grateful for your you gift of insight and I hope that anyone who has followed your month of gratitude has achieved what I have, a softer heart for God. I can't wait to see you Sunday. Have a great day.
Love.
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