Sure I’m Awake! I’m Having a Wide-Awake Party!

All my life I’ve known how incredibly important a good night’s sleep is for our health but getting that good night’s sleep is sometimes a major feat – especially when we do our best thinking in the night when it’s peaceful and quiet. My cousin mentioned she was struggling to sleep because she has so much on her mind. I understood her. Her precious husband of over 52 years passed away last week. I remember those sleep-deprived nights after my own husband passed away – “What do I need to do next? What will tomorrow hold? Will I go or will I stay? Why? When? Where? How?” The thoughts bombarded my mind and kept me wide awake.

My Mom was a light sleeper. There’s plenty of traits my Mom had that I want, but not that one. Always a sound sleeper, now I’ve found myself waking up more often, and after only 5 or 6 hours of sleep, I’m wide awake. My dear mom-in-law at 96 boasts of falling asleep before her head hits her pillow and doesn’t wake up until she’s had a good 8 or 9 hours of sleep. With all the other physical issues she’s had, I’m so thankful, sleep isn’t one of them!

I’ll pray and go through all kinds of mental exercises as I force my eyes to stay shut. My favorite shut-mind-down tactic is by thinking alphabet adjectives of God: “A = awesome, B = Bread of Life, C = Creator, etc. Often, I’ll fall back asleep. But what if God has a reason for us to have an occasional party?

Sometimes, I just give it up and have a “wide-awake” party as I follow King David’s lead. “I lie awake thinking of You, meditating on You through the night. Because You are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of Your wings.” Psalm 63:6-7. King David had significant reasons to stay awake. He penned those words in the wilderness, on the run from a vast army led by his own rebellious son. Yikes! He had every reason in the world to lie awake at night, but instead of fearing for his life or using those wide-awake hours to devise a brilliant plan of escape, he thought about God as his helper and joy-giver.

What if God’s plans for us are nighttime meditations like King David? Our Creator just might want our undivided attention, and what better time to have that attention, than when we’re not distracted by phone calls, social media, and “to do” lists?

So, I have come to this lightning-fast-mind conclusion. He “never slumbers or sleeps” (Psalm 121:4) and He promised “to give his beloved sweet sleep” (Psalm 127:2). I am His beloved, and if I’m wide-awake, then my Daddy God might be wanting one-on-one time with me. And if the best time for that intimate time together is in the middle of the night, then I’ll make the popcorn and ask the Lord to bring the “living water”. When I find myself tossing and turning, just maybe God is stirring my nest to teach me something. Instead of counting sheep, and saying alphabet acronyms, the best thing to do is count on God’s faithfulness, His power and provision. It’s humorous to consider that God is watching me toss and turn, trying so hard to fall asleep when He has nuggets of wisdom to share with me. Just maybe, instead of forcing ourselves to sleep, maybe we should plan a “Wide Awake” Party to “party” with our Creator!