Take a Break
I pummelled the pillow for the umpteenth time. Why can’t I sleep? I’m trying to empty my mind of things but it’s not happening. I just think of more things that need to be done!
It was one of those nights. Up and down like a yoyo. I’ve learnt to NOT stay in bed but get up and tire myself more by reading etc. Sometimes it’s laughable really. I’m so tired that my eyes do not focus on the words on the page but not tired enough to sleep.
Anyone else been there?
Is it a symptom of menopause or old age?
Whatever it is, it is so frustrating!
I make sure I don’t have a “nana nap” in the afternoon so that I can sleep at night. But I feel like I am dragging the body around all day, at least all afternoon. The extra coffee in the system does not do anything.
I have also learnt, though, I can pray a little even when I am tired. Maybe God is keeping me up so He can talk to me? Maybe when my daily life is so busy, and I have not scheduled Him in (Yes it does happen) He gives me more opportunity to stay awake and chat with Him.
Whatever it is and I’ll say it again – it is so frustrating!
You all know if you don’t get sleep, then you’re extra tired the next day. Often though lately it feels like this cycle goes on for days.
So, I thought enough is enough.
If I exercise more (not too excessively or too close to bedtime) surely that will tire me out more and improve my sleep quality. When I was on Mission for 5 weeks and was physically working (lifting boxes, setting up etc) plus mentally working I fell asleep so easily. I needed to do that again.
What do you need to do to sleep better? To feel rested when you wake or after you have worked hard?
Jesus saw this need in his disciples. He was concerned for them after they had worked hard on Mission. With His wisdom and gentleness, he called them away to rest.
He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.
Mark 6:31 NRSV
I realised what I had done. I had not rested enough after the weeks on Mission. Yes, I had taken a few days off after the rigorous travelling schedule, but it was not enough down time. You all know probably from experience that when you go on holidays it takes a few days to relax into it from the buzz of your normal hours of work.
I needed more time out, more time even with the Lord.
I could feel it in my tense muscles around my shoulders, the headaches that had started to occur again, from pushing my body once again.
I needed a happy medium. I needed more of a good balance of everything in my life. Yes, I know this cannot always occur. There are times when we are pushed to the wall, there are deadlines to reach, there is so much on my calendar. But overall, because of my age, for my good health, I had to balance even better the things in my life.
I could not do what I could when I was younger.
I cannot even wear those “Skyscraper” shoes that I used to wear. The feet, the back, the whole body cannot teeter on 2cm anymore!
You may say “I hate getting old” but I actually don’t. I enjoy more and more those times where I don’t have to rush. I don’t have so tight an agenda that it takes all of the pleasure out of life.
I’m actually enjoying the little things in life more.
I’m finding I don’t need as many things in my life.
My son-in-law would be very happy to hear me say “I don’t need as much clutter in my life.”
God has a way of getting us to a point in life of simplicity. Of what truly is important.
Have you found that in your life? Or are you still going a hundred miles an hour without a break?
Do you need a break right now? Even this early into the year?
Listen to what Jesus may say to you.
“Come away with me and rest.” I need you to run to the finish line and NOT collapse along the way. “Come and take time out for yourself, come and be with me for a time……take that break that I know you need….”
May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’
Love
Rosemary
Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Have you felt that God is asking you to take a rest in Him?
If you aren’t resting, what is stopping you?
Do you turn to prayer during those times that you can’t sleep? What do you think God has been talking to you about during these times?
7 Comments
Martha
Hi Rosemary that sounds like me right now , going through some rough times , but waiting on the lord patiently.Thanks to hear I’m not alone.
Mary Foley Garcia
Same here, but stressed over doctors not being able to find right treatment for daughter’s migraines that keep her home from work and life, and in bed most of the time.
I am 70 and a retired teacher that had to be the physical and monetary parent a few years ago for this when she lost her job. No help from ex-husband.
Now, it has come around again.
Only God can help the doctors, so praying to Him and saints for her health.
Cheryl
Hi Rosemary. I can relate to what you are saying. I can usually go to sleep quickly, but wake at various times during the night. If it is around 3.00am, I feel that it is God waking me to say the Divine Mercy Chaplet for a dying soul. There are times that I can say a rosary as well before getting back to sleep. This makes the next day a long one! I am trying to declutter too, but don’t seem to get anywhere. It is so frustrating! God bless.
Diane McDonald
Dear Rosemary
I like you have times when I am tired and my body just wont relax and let me sleep
After trying the Rosary and praying for friends in need
Finally I resort to chewing up 2 Schuessler Tissue Salts Muscle relaxant tabs Available at your pharmacy – sometimes hard to get however They re magnesium I find they relax my tense body and I fall asleep I tried to add pic of bottle but I could not do it.
Love and blessings Diane.
Valerie Simms
Rosemary I know how you feel!!! I have had times when I could not get to sleep, so I do often get up to pray to God, for what He wants to say to me via the Sacred Scriptures. Or I lay there in bed and try to relax until I do feel tired to sleep. Sometimes this works BUT sometimes not! My sister once suggested I try Melatonin. I asked my doctor and he agreed to prescribe me Melatonin. I discovered as we age, ( not saying that we are getting too old!!!) we lose a certain amount of the hormone we produce called seratonin, that helps us to sleep. It is quite a common phenomenon I noticed with ladies over 60. And within the Church I used to attend, so many ladies would complain that they were still awake after 3am in the morning! I take a tablet at night for three weeks and notice how tired I become after an hour or two, before going to bed. Then I try to have a week’s break and I can notice the difference immediately!!! I would recommend Melatonin for men and women over the age of 55 to take it, if the doctor approves that it will not interfere with any other medications that are taken or if there are no certain serious physical illness.
BUT if there are stresses, difficulties, anxieties, ongoing work overload, I do pray to our Loving Lord God, who He says to us in the Sacred Scriptures, to give all our anxieties ( I would include our problems, our relationship problems, our circumstances, our difficulties, our health problems, our insomnia, etc!!! ) to Him as He cares for us… And as our Lord Jesus says in Matthew 11: 28 ” Come to me, all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” How GREAT is the LOVE our God has for each one of us??? How GREAT IS OUR GOD!!!
Thank you Rosemary for sharing with us about taking a break with our God, who CARES for us and DESIRES TO HELP US!!! May the Lord keep blessing you and inspiring you with these messages that appear God sent Rosemary!!! I do appreciate very much both you and Bruce for the encouragement, support, prayers, explanations, corrections that we/I receive from watching and listening to both your spiritually inspired messages!!!
Valerie Simms
Rosemary and ladies, just wanted you to know what happened to me early this morning! For some strange reason, I woke up roughly about 4am this morning! And I could not get back to sleep! So I quietly picked up my Bible and went into the loungeroom and asked the Lord was there anything He wanted me to hear. I opened the Bible at the pages from the Book of Isaiah 58 to where I highlighted from verse 9b- 14. I don’t know why I felt I needed to hear more from the Lord so I turned to the next page. I read also all of Isaiah 60 and 61. After doing this I felt so uplifted, as the passages brought up memories of songs of Worship I used to sing, having exactly the same Scripture verses!!! By then it was about little after 5am, I heard the Garbage truck emptying the bins full of rubbish and went back to bed feeling more calm, at peace… Thank You Lord God that You truly are the Light of my life!!! Not even the moon, the stars, the sun put all together would be as bright as You are in my life!!!
Valerie Simms
Oh Sorry it’s me again Valerie! I forgot to tell you all that I took my Melatonin tablet last night and I still woke up at 4am this morning!!!