It had been a very long day. I was tired and exhausted from all of the activities that were a part of my life over the past 16 hours. All I wanted to do was to eat a little something for dinner and then head straight to bed. I didn’t care what notifications were on my phone or about the latest news-headlines. I just wanted to forget about all of the tasks left undone by laying my head on the pillow and taking a trip to DreamLand. Beauty sleep was calling my name. I was thrilled about the fact that I was getting in bed at a decent hour. This meant one thing. I was actually going to get my 8+ hours of sleep.

Over the past year, I’ve learned the importance of getting adequate sleep and rest. I’ve struggled with this issue over the years and at times my body has suffered the consequences, but not anymore. This has become a priority to me. I decided to take responsibility for me in this part of my health. I feel like a different person all by making this one small change.

So there I was. I had done everything right to prepare me for sleep. Skin care completed. Teeth brushed. Bible reading accomplished. I was ready to enter the slumber zone. I closed my eyes and waited…and waited…and I waited some more, but it just wasn’t happening. No matter how hard I tried, sleep just wasn’t visiting me. After a short bout with frustration, I decided to take some advice from sleep professionals. I got up and took a few minutes to read and relax. Surely this would work. Then after my short time trying to unwind, it was back to bed for me. I waited again for the second round, but there it was again. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. It just wasn’t happening no matter how hard I tried.

At this point, I began to question God. Why was I not able to sleep? The next day was going to be difficult as it was non-stop all over again. I needed to make a sleep deposit. I didn’t need this! I needed my sleep.

There came a turning point in the evening as I decided to focus on things of a spiritual nature. I figured if I couldn’t sleep, then I might as well make the most of it. I took some time to share what was on my heart and mind with God. I talked to Him. I listened. I thought about scripture and things I was thankful for. I listened to music and a sermon. It ended up being a night of encouragement that I truly needed.

Even though the night didn’t turn out the way I intended, it ended up being a blessing in disguise. I was able to take some much needed time to invest into pouring into God moments that I didn’t realize I needed that badly. He knew what I needed more than me, and apparently that night I needed time with my Abba Father more than I needed sleep.

I wasn’t as tired the next day as I thought I would be. Even with missing several hours of sleep, I still felt rather energized. I experienced an overwhelming peace and contentment from having been obedient to what seemed like a night out of order at first. What I thought was a disaster ended up being the best thing that could have happened to me. At that particular moment in time, I needed every moment of what I had just experienced.

If you ever have a night that sleep isn’t happening, don’t try to fight it. Be sensitive to God’s leading. He may just be trying to get your attention at a time when He has the ability to capture your full attention. There’s no better time for this than when it’s quiet and you have no distractions. No phones. No to-do lists. No texts or emails. Just the peacefulness of uninterrupted time with The Father. Before you know it, this no-sleep zone will turn into a sleep zone as you relax and rest in The Father’s care. There’s something about prayer time that will help you fall asleep – eventually, all in time, as in my case.

Fast forward to the next night. I had no problem falling asleep. I was back to my normal sleep schedule. I was never so grateful for a good night’s sleep until I woke up the following morning. Operation Sleep was finally a success.

The moral of the story: Do what Mama told you in Kindergarten! Get your sleep. Disclaimer: All is null and void when God has a different idea for your sleep. In that case, listen to God. You’ll eventually fall asleep, if only for a few hours. That’s what matters most!