Bedtime Prayer

 I  had trouble sleeping the other night.  (No surprise there with all that is going on in the world!)  I had actually gone to bed early and had no trouble falling asleep; I took a child's Benedryl for allergies and to help me sleep.  Getting to sleep was no problem, but I woke up at 1AM and couldn't fall back to sleep.  Maybe it was all the caffeine I had during the day.  Maybe it was the chaos and stress that the day had brought.  Probably it was a combination of the both.

When I was younger (but not YOUNG), I couldn't fall asleep until I said a prayer.  I always said the commonly known "Now I lay me down to sleep..."  But the only version I know is the "if I die" and I just didn't want to say that.  What I didn't know was that there are other versions.  I was not in the mind to go google at 1 AM.  (Even though I have in the past.)  I could have said the Lord's prayer or something else, but I wanted something specific to rest and calm.

So as I lay there, I came up with the following.

Dear Lord
Give me rest
Grant me peace
Refresh my spirit
Renew my soul
Amen

I think I'm going to use it nightly.  It will be MY bedtime prayer. Not that it's "better" than any other prayer, but it reflects what I need:  rest, peace, refreshment and renewal.  By saying it over several times, it really did have a calming effect.

I also added two lines to say when I need calm, but am NOT going to sleep, which I thought of this morning while I was out walking.

Dear Lord
Give me rest
Grant me peace
Refresh my spirit
Renew my soul
So that I may serve with joy
My family, my friends and the world
Amen

During this time of uncertainty, prayers give me comfort.  No matter what is going on in the world, comfort is a good thing.  

Be safe and be well.





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We Have Taken America Back

Image
Back to a time when all men (and women) are not created equal.  Where women's healthcare is determined by men's laws and not by medical professionals. Where education tells only the "winning" side of the story and truth does not matter.  Where banning and burning books is a social event.  Where people who are "different" than those in power can be mocked, shunned and hurt with no real consequences. Where lies are acceptable and integrity is  just a word on a page We have moved into a time where rage is the rage.  Where hate is not just normal, but accepted and even cheered. Where leaders can ask to have their "enemies" killed and no one will bat an eye.  Where it's "funny" to see someone struggle.  Where felony is applauded. Where compassion is not shown and caring for others is looked down upon. We have taken America back to a time of pain and suffering for many.  Back to when the "haves" can have and the have nots don'...
Read more

It's Not About Starbucks (or is it)?

Image
  About a block and a half from my home in a major intersection.  At the southeast corner (which is nearest to me), is an empty building.  Back in 1995 it was a Bank of NY (I remember this because they didn't shovel/de-ice their parking lot well and my husband fell and broke his ankle one Monday morning.  I recall this clearly because we were not yet married and it was the first day of a new job for me.  I had gotten on the bus to work and he was catching a later one; only he never got there.  Instead he ended up laying on the ground until an employee came to open up the bank.  Then he had them call an ambulance AND my mother who took control of the situation until I arrived home that night blissfully unaware of what had happened that day.)  It eventually became a Chase Bank; the second one in my small little town.  It eventually closed.  I'm not sure when but it's been empty for quite a long time.  (I do know that it was open in 20...
Read more

As Is

Image
  Today I want to discuss what I think it is a relatively simple concept, but may be difficult for some, even an attorney who might have once, over a decade ago won a  prestigious award  for young lawyers .  That term is "AS IS." As you may know, I volunteer in a thrift shop.  Everything we sell, from all the donations we receive, is "as is."  The items are not brand new.  They are not perfect.  That doesn't mean they aren't any good or worth something. They are sold "as is."  Buyers should go in knowing that. (After all you are shopping in a thrift shop!)  In some cases, particularly when we are offering higher end products, we will actually write on the price tag, "as is." Such is the case of two designer purses that I purchased from there this summer.  (I'm a purse-aholic!  Don't look in my closet.)  They were reasonably priced (especially when you consider the name brand), but each had an "as is" clearly marked o...
Read more