I can count on one hand the number of times yearly that I get enough sleep to feel rested when I awake.
This has been the pattern for my life — eyes wanting more sleep.
But this is a lifestyle choice, a choice to be productive doing this or that at the cost of having rested eyes.
I am not alone in this pattern. Many of you reading these words take the same view of sleep.
When I got out of bed this morning at 5:11 a.m., I immediately started preparing Lori’s breakfast and after taking that to her, I prepared her lunch.
She’s under a tight schedule to get ready in the morning in order to beat the traffic rush and still get to her job by 7:15 or so — 45 miles away from our house.
It’s right for me to help her rather than staying in bed and letting her figure out her own breakfast and lunch.
When she pulls out of the garage, I shift toward other tasks such as my devotional time and then writing the Morning Devotion.
After that, I take care of personal correspondence and personal business that’s needed and then my workday starts at the church office.
Wow, nearly four hours of tasks each morning before I get to work….
Some of you have even busier mornings, so I consider myself blessed to not have to get up even earlier.
“Go, go, go” is how I’m wired. It’s not just about getting things done but, even more importantly, it’s about being a good steward of opportunities to make a difference.
Of course, we all need some sleep. Let’s just make sure to never let the desire for more sleep get in the way of doing what we should.
Here’s the Bible’s view on how believers shouldn’t allow the desire for sleep to determine their choices.
“A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.” (Proverbs 10:5)
Let’s be wise. If getting out of bed a bit earlier or going to bed a bit later — or both — will help you to serve more people with deeds of kindness, notes of appreciation, acts of service or prayers of intercession, then such things should be harvested through our faith in God.
As long as people around us have needs — including the need for salvation — we’re in an endless summer and settling for less sleep is an act of faith that can bear much fruit.
You know, Jesus never got a lot of sleep and — because He was exhausted — He even fell asleep on a boat in a raging storm.
Why was He so sleepy? You know…. He was always up very early praying.
What a great example for us!
As always, I love you
Martin
