Is there ever a night where you can’t sleep? You may fall asleep, wake up for whatever reason, and then can’t get back to sleep. Your mind is racing. You can’t calm yourself. You finally give up and get out of bed.
Now in my mid-fifties, I get up to go to the bathroom (hope that isn’t too personal) 2-3 times every night. About once every 2-3 weeks, sometimes more often, my 2AM (approx.) wake-up results in me not being able to get back to sleep. I lay back down, but I’m not restful. My mind is buzzing with thoughts. I typically try to get back to sleep by quietly laying there for 30 minutes or so.
If that doesn’t work, I then go into prayer mode, saying my rote prayers, followed by entering the classroom of silence, as advocated by Matthew Kelly. If I’m not asleep after spending 30-60 minutes in prayer, I get up and go to my desk, with my Team at work (no longer surprised by it) getting several emails from me in the middle of the night.
The bad news is that I’m sleep deprived, requiring a lot of coffee, and sometimes my exercise routine is negatively impacted for that day. The good news is that I get in good prayer time, am super productive, and always sleep incredibly well the next night.
I talk about the Path to Peace being Surrender, Gratitude, Humility, and Love. Specific to Gratitude, I believe that nothing happens by coincidence, but instead for a reason, the good and the bad, all part of God’s grand plan for our lives. Understanding this and believing that I wouldn’t be who I am today without every one of the occurrences in my life having taken place, I am incredibly grateful for all.
So, why can’t I sleep? What’s the reason? What’s God’s grand plan?
As I reflect on it, most of my best ideas come out of these bi-weekly early-early morning risings. My sense is that one of the reasons is the care free timelessness that takes place…in the middle of the night, I have nowhere to go. I’m in no rush. I say my prayers. I enter the classroom of silence, describing to God some aspect of my life, i.e. my dreams, desires, thoughts, feelings, challenges, fears, or failures. I describe my plans and ideas and then listen for His guidance.
Exiting prayer, I then take those thoughts into my subconscious mind and while doing some other work, continue thinking about what I addressed with our Lord in prayer. Or I very intentionally concentrate on an idea, expanding on it and often taking notes in the form of a preliminary plan. Yep. My best ideas and plans come out of these early-early mornings.
I’m not specifically sure why I’m writing on this. Maybe because I had one of those mornings this morning. In prayer, God put it on my heart to share about it. I think it’s also noteworthy to understand that things do happen for a reason. I really do get my very best ideas during these early morning sessions.
God is working in your life. There’s no question about that. The question is, where do you see Him? How does His love for you manifest itself? What are the results? Do you understand the purpose, His purpose, believing that there are no coincidences and that all happens for a reason?
God made you for GREATNESS. It is Scriptural. He doesn’t hit you over the head like a sledgehammer with it, but gives you bite size glimpses instead. Give Jesus your “yes”. Take notice of where God is in your life. With God, the unimaginable is achievable.
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God Bless you on your Journey to Peace, Joy, and Fulfillment!!!
Mark Joseph
P.S. Happy Birthday to Robert (Robby), our son, who we’re incredibly proud of. God Bless!! We love you!!!