Even at night my heart instructs me

I’ve not been sleeping well for two weeks. I go to sleep after my night time prayer and then a few hours later I wake up, wide awake brought to the coldness of consciousness quickly, ripped from my dreams without warning. I lie there wondering why I’ve been woken up, are the children awake? has the cats made a noise that has disturbed me? Is my husband hogging the bed and I’m squashed? It’s never any of those reasons. So I lie there in prayer and in thanks wondering if I am meant to be awake for a reason.

Yesterday my family and I went to an air show at an aviation museum that has been recreated to look like an original WW2 base. As my husband was busy taking photographs, I went for a wander inside the memorial chapel there. It was very sombre inside and on the wall on the way out was a prayer station. There was a framed prayer with copies of its lovely message to take home. 

I just love the wording in this prayer and the final paragraph was just so timely for how I’ve been sleeping recently. God does know our hearts and our thoughts so deeply . This message ever so cleverly delivered to me in that little chapel in East Kirkby might be my answer to my wakeful nights.

I will bless the Lord who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. Psalm 16:7-9