Sleep in Peace

Have courage for the great sorrows of life

and patience for the small ones;

and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task,

go to sleep in peace. God is awake.

-Victor Hugo

Today was an unusually stressful day. Strange how those seemingly lie in wait to jump on us, huh? I own my own business, and as many small business owners will tell you, any upsets or changes can sometimes send shockwaves to several areas of your life, including your sleep, sanity, or (worse!) your bank account.

So sleep was hard to come by last night. Peaceful sleep was totally out of the question. I tossed and turned and worried and thought. Finally, I drifted off, only to awake at regular intervals to stare out the window and watch rustling pecan tree branches dance with the moon. It was still. It was quiet. I was worried.

I shouldn't have been. Why, you ask? No, it wasn't necessarily because my troubles were "small" sorrows that I had patience for. And it certainly wasn't because I am a "fixer" or a problem solver or a genius business woman. No, it doesn't have anything to do with me. Or the situation. I shouldn't have worried because even as I lie awake, thinking my little brain out, Someone else was awake. He was still. He was quiet. But He wasn't worried.

People sometimes ask why it's so important to be a Christian. Why it's worth my time or effort to seek out a relationship with a God that so many others do without. My answer is simple: because I can ultimately rest secure in the knowledge that regardless of my upsetting days or sleepless nights, my future... my life... is steadfast in the hands of a Heavenly Father who never sleeps or slumbers.

My God is awake.


I came home today and lit some candles and sat at the dining room table. As I sat there, staring at the flickering flames and flowers, I felt suddenly at peace, small sorrow and all. Something tells me I'll sleep peacefully tonight....

He who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

-Psalm 121