“On Not Sleeping Well”
I haven’t been sleeping well of late. I don’t know why. Nothing obvious comes to mind when I look for reasons.
Yes, I know the stats: About one out of three adults in America does not get the rest he/she needs. I am part of a large fellowship of the sleep deprived. For some reason, this does not comfort me. Misery may indeed love company, but company doesn’t make up for the misery.
I am trying to function on five hours of sleep last night. I took the dog out before daylight and got aggravated with her for not getting down to her business as quickly as I thought she should. I apologized to her when we got back to the house, but I don’t like being the way I am when I’m this tired. When I have slept well, I get up full of enthusiasm and gratitude. Today, I am not filled with such positive attitudes. What I am full of is probably not suitable for anyone’s ears right now.
I don’t want my approach to the day or my interactions with others to be held hostage to my sleep patterns. (Or is it “sleep chaos,” rather than “sleep patterns”?)
Perhaps sleep, like happiness and many other things, comes primarily when we don’t think too much about it. Perhaps sleep, like in general, is a gift.
Apparently, sleep issues are ancient. The Bible talks about the problem a lot. For example,
“Psa. 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives to his beloved sleep.” (English Standard Version)
The last line, the one about God giving sleep to his beloved, is the reason why I don’t have to work so hard or worry so much. So, I am asking God for rest. Yes, for myself, but also for you. Hopefully, you went to sleep while you were reading this post.
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