While going through cancer years ago, my dear friend, Bonnie, shared a verse the Lord used to ministered to her heart during those painful, lonely nights at the hospital, when she couldn't sleep for the pain.
Psalm 121: 2-4, "My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not suffer your foot to be moved: He that keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He that keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
She knew when she couldn't sleep she wasn't alone, because the Lord wasn't sleeping either. He was with her, He was listening to her prayers, He was comforting her, He was speaking to her heart. The Lord has used this encouragement many times in my life, including last night.
A child accidentally woke me up during a 1am poddy break, and for the first time since my January 29th recurrent thyroid cancer diagnosis, my thoughts went into a bit of panic mode.
In the darkness of night, while the house slumbered, I worried about treatment, I worried about side-effects, I worried about choosing the right doctors and the right treatment.
In a moment, I remembered my promise to the Lord to give Him things in prayer and NOT take them back in worry. So while my LORD was not slumbering, I prayed about each item, and left them in His lap to take care of.
I fell asleep immediately.
In the morning I reread a precious note from a dear friend, Rochelle, who had given me these "words of life" to uphold me.
"The Lord will command this lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with you," Psalm 43:8
Not only is He not sleeping during the nights, He is giving our hearts a song.
As I pondered this thought today, it occurred to me how it's been hard to sympathize with my children who are afraid of the dark. Because I had never experienced that fear as a child, I felt their fears were a little unreasonable. I still comforted them with Scripture, prayed with them,and loved them, trying to bring peaceful sleep, but my heart still was always a little surprised that even that effort, I sometimes couldn't take that fear away. I didn't doubt them, I didn't mock them, I just didn't totally understand.
Now I am wondering - maybe they weren't afraid OF the dark,
maybe they were afraid IN the dark,
like I was last night.
As I had to take my own advice last night, I realized it truly works.
Prayer can turn worries into a song.
We can sleep at night, because the Lord doesn't.
Thanks Mindy. I will have to remember this on some future weekend when my husband is away hunting. I suffer from some "home alone" anxiety at night and sometimes it's quite severe. A trick I used last time he was away was to listen to my ipod while the Bible was read. Your blog today and the scripture in it was comforting.
ReplyDeleteI wrote down those scriptures. thank you for sharing them. Oh, how many nights I've been awake and worried in the night. I try to pray and sometimes it works. I quote scripture to myself..sometimes that works, but nighttime brings fears that the day erases...why is that? I love Psalm 121. Bless you for your messages. God is using you in your suffering. you are touching the hearts of many.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you have learned to turn loneliness into aloneness time (time you are alone and realize it and spend it with Him-vs. loneliness when you sit thinking about yourself).
ReplyDeletepraying for you and glad God is comforting you with His Word.
Kimmie
mama to 7
one homemade and 6 adopted