Never Sleeping
Black-out curtains, extra strong coffee, breakfast for dinner, and fast-food carry out at 1:30 am. These are the joys of night shift.
I have never stayed up all night in my whole life...not until last week when I started working nights. It has been an adjustment to say the least, and an adventurous one at that. This little I-need-at-least-eight-hours-of-sleep nurse has been having a hard time knowing what day it is, what time it is, and whether I should be awake or asleep.
I quickly discovered that when I have a patient to care for, I do not have a problem staying awake and alert at all - even in the middle of the night. It is when the rooms are empty, the halls are quiet, and I have nothing to do that my eyes start to get heavy. That's when I practice creative ways to stay awake: a meal at 1:00 am, a strong cup of coffee at 2:00, spicy cheetos and a game of cards at 3:00.
All these experiences and adjustments have made me love Psalm 121:4 which says, "He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps."
On my first night shift, when I seriously struggled to stay awake in the early hours of the morning, I remembered this verse and let out a sigh of joyful relief. What great news! When I get to the point where I am so fatigued that I don't know if I can stay awake long enough to make it home to my bed, I am thankful that God never sleeps or gets tired. Because now I better understand that when people cry out to Him in the middle of the night, He is always attentive to their needs and gives answer. He is never too weary to give the best of care to His children.
On my days off in between working when I stay up all night alone, I am so very thankful to know and serve a God that never sleeps or gets tired. Because at 2:30 in the morning when I have no one to talk to, I know that God is awake and with me. "When I awake, I am still with you" (Psalm 139:18).
Psalm 139: 2-3 says, "You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways." No matter what time we lay down to sleep or wake up to work, God sees. No matter when we need Him most, He is awake and ready to receive us in His arms.
Even though I am writing this at 1:16 in the morning and I feel like it's just about time for lunch, God is awake and with me. Even when I am sleeping and you are awake and about your business, God is with you. When we are sleeping and the people in China are awake, God is with all of us.
Our God is not bound by time, limited by it, nor affected by it. He is sovereign over it. He does not require sleep, and He never grows tired or weary. I know this seems like such a simple truth, but just let that sink in deep down. Knowing this leaves me more and more in awe of Him. Maybe you just need to work a night shift to see what I mean!
When I struggle to maintain strength and a decent sleep cycle, I can relax and rejoice in knowing that God's strength does not depend on sleep. Next time you face a sleepless night, feelings of loneliness, or the need for supernatural strength, remember this: Our God is sovereign and sleepless, and He sustains us every hour of every day, when we wake and when we sleep.
I have never stayed up all night in my whole life...not until last week when I started working nights. It has been an adjustment to say the least, and an adventurous one at that. This little I-need-at-least-eight-hours-of-sleep nurse has been having a hard time knowing what day it is, what time it is, and whether I should be awake or asleep.
I quickly discovered that when I have a patient to care for, I do not have a problem staying awake and alert at all - even in the middle of the night. It is when the rooms are empty, the halls are quiet, and I have nothing to do that my eyes start to get heavy. That's when I practice creative ways to stay awake: a meal at 1:00 am, a strong cup of coffee at 2:00, spicy cheetos and a game of cards at 3:00.
All these experiences and adjustments have made me love Psalm 121:4 which says, "He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps."
On my first night shift, when I seriously struggled to stay awake in the early hours of the morning, I remembered this verse and let out a sigh of joyful relief. What great news! When I get to the point where I am so fatigued that I don't know if I can stay awake long enough to make it home to my bed, I am thankful that God never sleeps or gets tired. Because now I better understand that when people cry out to Him in the middle of the night, He is always attentive to their needs and gives answer. He is never too weary to give the best of care to His children.
On my days off in between working when I stay up all night alone, I am so very thankful to know and serve a God that never sleeps or gets tired. Because at 2:30 in the morning when I have no one to talk to, I know that God is awake and with me. "When I awake, I am still with you" (Psalm 139:18).
Psalm 139: 2-3 says, "You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways." No matter what time we lay down to sleep or wake up to work, God sees. No matter when we need Him most, He is awake and ready to receive us in His arms.
Even though I am writing this at 1:16 in the morning and I feel like it's just about time for lunch, God is awake and with me. Even when I am sleeping and you are awake and about your business, God is with you. When we are sleeping and the people in China are awake, God is with all of us.
Our God is not bound by time, limited by it, nor affected by it. He is sovereign over it. He does not require sleep, and He never grows tired or weary. I know this seems like such a simple truth, but just let that sink in deep down. Knowing this leaves me more and more in awe of Him. Maybe you just need to work a night shift to see what I mean!
When I struggle to maintain strength and a decent sleep cycle, I can relax and rejoice in knowing that God's strength does not depend on sleep. Next time you face a sleepless night, feelings of loneliness, or the need for supernatural strength, remember this: Our God is sovereign and sleepless, and He sustains us every hour of every day, when we wake and when we sleep.
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