October 1, 2013

I hate waking an hour or so before the alarm is set to go off. 95% of my rest is complete, and my mind begins the schedule of the new day–especially if life is hectic. I find that I argue with myself. I devise a contingency for some problem or decision, and then I find a weakness and develop a plan around it. Or I anticipate opposition and devise a rebuttal to get my way. All the activity and anxiety guarantee that I won’t go back to sleep–even though my wife rests peacefully beside me.

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, sleep was nowhere to be found–except among his most trusted disciples. While Jesus was battling Satan with the weight of Adam’s Fall upon him and the horror of God’s wrath before him, Peter, James, and John slept. What an incredible loneliness! What a great comfort for the poor anxious soul who lies awake at 4:00 a.m. with worries and plans racing through his head. There is One present who truly understands and is a sure stronghold in the midst of life’s anxiety.