Restlessness

Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

There have been many times when I have found myself tossing and turning in the night, unable to rest my mind and fall asleep. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has experienced those nights. It can be quite frustrating. Your mind jumps from one thought to the next. Remembering something you were supposed to do that day, but you forgot. The torture of replaying your to-do list will always keep you awake. Or thinking of all the things you have on your list for the next day or the next. Sometimes we spend time revisiting a conversation, disagreement, or a message and thinking of all the things we should have said or wished we had done. Then there are nights when we simply get lost in the question of why.

We can truly wear ourselves out by not knowing how to shut our minds down in order to give our bodies the necessary rest it needs. I have found a remedy that has helped me tremendously and I trust it will help others as well.

When I find myself unable to fall asleep, I take a trip to the well. Remember the story of Jesus sitting at Jacob’s well talking with the Samaritan woman? That becomes me. I let my imagination place me at the well with Jesus. It’s like sitting on the porch with your grandmother listening to her childhood stories, but better. Some nights I’ll talk about the things on my mind. Other nights I may simply let Jesus know, I’m confused, or I’m hurt, or I’m afraid and I really just don’t know what my next step should be. In our conversation, I would pretend Jesus maybe rubbing His hand across my face. You know the way your mom does when someone has hurt your feelings and she’s trying to comfort you. Yes, just like that. At times, He even pats me on the back to tell me things are going to be okay. But there are also nights when I don’t say a word, I just sit there with my head resting on his knee and the calmness in His presence is so soothing. Most often, He tells me the stories. Stories that are sure to unfold in the days, weeks or months to come.

The next morning, I wake up truly refreshed, not knowing when or how I fell asleep. All I know is I was at the well with the Living Water and He took my heavy burdens, replacing them with peaceful rest.

The next time you are having trouble sleeping, take a trip to Jacob’s well and Try Jesus.

Rest well.