Time to Sleep?

I know that as caregivers, we don't always get a lot of time to sleep. Even if we do go to sleep, we have to sleep lightly because we listen for our loved ones. We often have to get up during the wee hours of the mornings. Our loved ones may need to be turned. Maybe we need to change them. And for many caregivers, loved ones who are ambulatory like to get up and wander at night. The nighttime hours can present many challenges for caregivers. 

Today, I'm thinking about sleep because I've gotten even less than normal since Saturday. My son became very ill and we went back and forth to the hospital until they hospitalized him for sepsis. That's one of the scariest words in a caregiver's vocabulary! He is no longer septic, but we are still in the hospital as he continues to recover. Not much sleep there - right! Lol.

But my soul can "sleep" or rest in the middle of the storm.

During my morning devotions I found myself in Acts 12. Peter has been arrested for preaching the gospel. He is chained (yes - CHAINED) between two guards and there are many others standing by to ensure Peter stays right there until his upcoming trial in the morning.

Now this is a remarkable story. The Angel of God comes in and wakes Peter up - because he was ASLEEP! The angel then leads Peter to those who are praying for his release. It's kind of one of those real-life stories in the Bible. If you get a chance take a look at it. The point I want to make is that Peter is sound asleep in the middle of his trial. Life put pressure on him, people chained his arms to two big guards - and Peter laid down and slept. That's a picture of peace in the storm right there!

We may not have an angel to walk in and release us from our biggest trials and struggles today. There may not be a lot of sleep going on in our future or in our today. But our souls can rest as we trust God. Jesus slept in the boat in the middle of the storm. Peter is asleep in a dark prison cell. The storm or trial did not go away because they trusted God. But they could rest in the middle of it knowing God was IN it with them!

Today, I will remind myself that God is in this storm with me. I can rest in Him and trust Him even if the waves are rocking my life's boat. He's got nowhere to go and wouldn't go even if He could. Even though there are high winds, waves, and a dark sea bashing my soul - I can let my soul rest knowing that it's all happening while I am in the palm of His hand. He will not leave my soul stranded. I'll remember that He is the keeper of my soul in the darkest, longest, most difficult storms. I can trust Him for one more day- will you join me?

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I'm reading From 31 Days in Psalm 31:
Day 9: You Have Considered My Trouble
This statement by David has often puzzled me. In verse 7 of Psalm 31, he says,
On one hand, it is comforting, isn't it? But on the other hand it can be confusing to know He sees
our situations and seems to be action-less. Another passage comes to mind; the story of Hagar in Genesis
16.
When Hagar realized God saw her predicament, she had peace. The trial wasn't over yet, but she found
peace in the midst of it as she proclaimed, There's something about knowing He sees what we
are going through. Somehow He inserts Himself into the situation at that point. And maybe it's just that
when we realize He does see and know all - we allow Him to insert Himself into the present.
Psalm 46:1 says He's not just an escape route.
It doesn't indicate the trouble is avoidable - or that it's instantly over when He shows up. But He is
trouble.
We are not where we are without Him seeing what is going on. It didn't catch Him by surprise. He didn't
wring His hands in worry when He "discovered" our situations. But He does insert His Spirit into the equation
if we let Him see us.