Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…
“My soul waits for the Lord, more than those who watch for the morning, more than those who watch for the morning.” Psalm 130:6
In Biblical times people lived in walled villages, military camps that were enclosed with some sort of defensive barricades. The safety of those inside the walls was entrusted to those who were charged to watch through the night.
Most of us have never been called upon to stand guard through the darkest hours of the night, maintaining a heightened awareness of our surroundings, sensing any movement among moonlit shadows, listening for the slightest out of place sounds. The night was a fearful place in the ancient world, where illumination was in short supply and surprise attacks from enemy or animal were real threats. The solitude of the watch, the endless hours of tedium, allowed time for vivid imaginations to spin yarns of mythical creatures who lurked in the darkness. The fear was real, though the actual threat on most nights was non-existent. Those on watch yearned for the first signs of morning, for the end of their shift, and for the promise of a new day.
On occasion, we find affinity with ancient watchmen as we too yearn for the first signs of morning. Sleep does not come easy, the long-suffering hours of night become a prison cell of darkness releasing the demons of our greatest fears. Our sentence plays out in agonizing fashion as each hour of the night passes. Mythical worries and real-life problems dominate our troubled spirits, but typically the threat of our ruminations is greatly exaggerated. We toss and turn, unable to find comfort in mind or body. We curse the darkness, anxiously waiting, unable to hasten the promised return of the sun. My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning.
Sometimes sleep does not come easy. That was true for many in 2020 and is likely to be true in 2021 as well. Anxiety filled days often lead to restless hours of darkness. How have you been sleeping? Has pandemic fatigue, financial distress, and the political weariness of 2020 left you ill at ease and longing for light? Having trouble sleeping? A warm glass of milk might do the trick, less caffeine and alcohol would certainly improve your odds of sleep, and my sermons have proven to help grown men sleep like babies.
I would encourage you to do two things in 2021 that may help your outlook and your sleep patterns. First take responsibility! Take responsibility for those things in life that are within your jurisdiction. You cannot solve all the problems of the world, but there are things that you can do that will improve your life or the lives of your neighbors. Take responsibility for your decisions; be empowered to act on your own behalf. Drink less, exercise, journal, pray, meditate, reach out to friends, spend wisely, be generous, read more, and limit your consumption of cable news. Make a list, actively participate, and if your story needs to change, then do your part to change it.
First take responsibility and secondly acknowledge how little control you have. Most of life is out of our control. We have nothing to do with our birth. We are not consulted about our DNA structure. We do not control, and are not responsible for, the actions of others. The earth spins on its axis, the planets make their journeys around the sun, and far-off stars are created and destroyed. We do not understand the mysteries of life and creation. We have little frame of reference for the eternal. We are bit players in an incomprehensible Divine drama. We are in fact, simply creatures, free beings to a point, but mostly along for the ride, created to enjoy the ride, and to care for each other.
In 2021, take responsibility for what is yours, and trust God for the rest.
One day closer,
Pastor Jim
