He is My Rest 101

As frustrating as not sleeping is, God has still managed to use it in my life to teach me some profound truths.....(not surprising really)

Although a couple week ago I ranted and raved about how "All I really need is Jesus" and how "He is my rest" and all that spiritual stuff, I've realized for me to really claim that truth, for Christ really to be my rest, my all in all, I must abide in Him fully. I'm still in training about what that looks like, what it means to truly rely on Him, to truly be desperate for Him, for Him to be the air I breathe and the food I eat.....but I know that when I get there, I can claim with confidence that He is my rest.

May I continue to learn and experience what it means to abide in Him fully.

Sleep is not a free ticket for all of us...sleep is not something to be taken for granted. That feeling in the morning...the one that says "Ahhh, I slept great" the one that gives you motivation to do a load of laundry, to crank away at your inbox of emails, the one that inspires you to head to the Y, that feeling is a gift, the gift of rest, of refreshment, of energy and it was meant to be used to accomplish much for our Savior, to do His will, to glorify Him and honor Him. God does not "owe" us rest, He gives it to us so that we can be used by Him.

May I be a steward of the rest that God allows me to have.

So, I feel funny using the word "suffering" to describe my sleep deprived state...it feels small, insignificant and actually quite selfish to complain about not sleeping. But on top of all of that, the one thing that is like a hang nail in my mind is that the "suffering" I go through in the middle of a sleepless night feels so pointless, so fruitless.......it radiates futility. What the Lord so gently reminded me of on Tuesday morning, was that He uses any suffering, any discomfort, to make us more like Him. Philippians 3: 10 says "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like him in his death." With one breath, one whisper, He gave purpose to my sleeplessness.....and that my friends, makes all the difference in the world.

May I ever be grateful for trials that shape me into the image of my Savior.