Using Interruptions To Encourage and Inspire
Turning on my nightlight, I looked at my clock. Only 2:00 a.m.! I’d been laying here since 10:00 pm, unable to sleep! It was one of my rare and frustrating nights when sleep kept eluding me and I was so frustrated. I had tried all my “tricks” to fall asleep but nothing worked. Praying hard, I asked – again – for the ability to fall asleep as I had so many things on my calendar tomorrow and the lack of sleep would make my day much more difficult.
As I lay there praying, God reminded me of Psalm 60:12. As hard as it was to understand, I am in His hands. He would take care of my adversaries including sleeplessness, and He had allowed this “sleep fast” for a purpose. I decided to use it a a prayer time for my loved ones.
The first person who came to mind was an on-line friend who deals with these kinds of sleepless night frequently. Feeling an extra measure of empathy, I prayed for a peaceful night for her and wisdom to know how to deal with this on-going issue. Next, I prayed for all the members of my family and other friends, for trials they were experiencing, for wisdom and discernment in decisions they needed to make, for health and healing.
Eventually, I woke up, grateful to discover I had finally drifted off to sleep. The four hours of sleep was not what I needed for a day full of caregiving duties and writing projects but I was grateful for every minute of it. Later, as I tried to work on a writing project with a very tired brain, I thought, “yet another interruption in my writing process.” Again, Psalm 60 came to my mind.
I realized that here, too, God was in control. Praying for ideas, in spite of my tiredness, He gave me this devotional to encourage you as well as me. Yes, we will have plenty of interruptions of all kinds in our days. But God can take those interruptions and use them for His glory. And what a joy it is to be a part of that process.
Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the interruptions you have allowed in our lives. Thank you that You can use anything and everything in our lives to bring glory to Your name. We offer up to you all our interruptions and praise You for using us in so many ways, including through our writing. Amen
