April 8
In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for thou alone, O Lord, makest me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
We toss and turn and fuss and fume. For many of us these days, sleep often does not come upon us easily. The harder we try to rest, the less relaxation and sleep seems to be available! Yet we cannot make it happen without a little effort on our part. Some people count sheep; some focus on their muscles and try to relax each one individually as part of a relaxation technique; others pray. I say a Rosary. When I was little, it was my Mother’s answer to everything . . . inability to sleep, worry, fear, illness, need and thanksgiving. In almost every circumstance, the Rosary saw her through – it was her safety net - and consequently it became mine as well. As a child, while saying my Rosary in times of sleeplessness, feelings of comfort, peace and safety would come over me during the repetition of prayerful words and I would invariably fall asleep, unable to finish. One morning thinking regretfully about not completing all my prayers and voicing that to my Mother, she said, “Your Guardian Angel finished it for you!” Surprised, happy and satisfied with that response, the situation quickly was forgotten. But from that point forward, I always remembered that it wasn’t just me praying, and so I no longer worried about having sole responsibility while doing so. I knew my prayers were being carried to God by someone bigger than myself – that our prayers, even those said by one individual, spread far and wide and I would envision a giant circle. After completing my litany of prayer, somehow I always felt better, more relaxed and more hopeful. This relaxation technique learned at a very young age worked nearly every time as I fell peacefully asleep with good thoughts swirling about in my head! Today, it still works for me . . . . every time. When peace and sleep escape you, give repetitive prayer a try!
Heavenly Father may we sleep in heavenly peace . . . Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson
In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for thou alone, O Lord, makest me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
We toss and turn and fuss and fume. For many of us these days, sleep often does not come upon us easily. The harder we try to rest, the less relaxation and sleep seems to be available! Yet we cannot make it happen without a little effort on our part. Some people count sheep; some focus on their muscles and try to relax each one individually as part of a relaxation technique; others pray. I say a Rosary. When I was little, it was my Mother’s answer to everything . . . inability to sleep, worry, fear, illness, need and thanksgiving. In almost every circumstance, the Rosary saw her through – it was her safety net - and consequently it became mine as well. As a child, while saying my Rosary in times of sleeplessness, feelings of comfort, peace and safety would come over me during the repetition of prayerful words and I would invariably fall asleep, unable to finish. One morning thinking regretfully about not completing all my prayers and voicing that to my Mother, she said, “Your Guardian Angel finished it for you!” Surprised, happy and satisfied with that response, the situation quickly was forgotten. But from that point forward, I always remembered that it wasn’t just me praying, and so I no longer worried about having sole responsibility while doing so. I knew my prayers were being carried to God by someone bigger than myself – that our prayers, even those said by one individual, spread far and wide and I would envision a giant circle. After completing my litany of prayer, somehow I always felt better, more relaxed and more hopeful. This relaxation technique learned at a very young age worked nearly every time as I fell peacefully asleep with good thoughts swirling about in my head! Today, it still works for me . . . . every time. When peace and sleep escape you, give repetitive prayer a try!
Heavenly Father may we sleep in heavenly peace . . . Copyright© 2014 Kathleen A. Matson