I will bless them and the places
surrounding my hill. I will send
down showers in season; there
will be showers of blessing.
EZEKIEL 34:26
“Oh no, not again,” Wendy whispered to herself, as she awoke from a sound sleep at exactly two o’clock in the morning. For several nights now, she had awakened in the middle of the night, unable to get back to sleep.
Wendy tried counting sheep forward and backward, but she remained wide awake. Warm milk only served to make her more alert. For several hours each night, she made herself miserable, trying to force herself to go back to sleep and worrying about the cause of her problem.
During the day, she found it hard to focus on her studies, and the dark rings under her eyes made her look and feel even worse.
The next time she awoke during the early morning hours, Wendy picked up her Bible and began to read and study the Scriptures. For many nights to follow, she searched God’s Word, while gradually understanding the message it offered. Her sheep counting changed to blessing counting, and she discovered quickly that she always fell asleep before she could count them all.
Instead of dreading her insomnia, she now looked forward to studying God’s Word in the middle of the night. His power and presence filled her soul. Gradually, the more time she spent with God, the more she gained spiritual power and an increased feeling of self-worth. For the first time in a long time, she felt in control of her feelings and began to believe that with Him she could do all things.
Eventually, Wendy’s insomnia faded away, and her sleep grew sweet. She made sure, however, that she spent time alone with God during the day. But still she is grateful for the sleepless nights; God used that time to teach her the truth of living and the joy of loving. She learned, as she counted her blessings, that the answer to peaceful sleep is not in counting sheep but in calling on the Shepherd.