Nytol or God Over All?

How did you sleep last night?

There's a fair chance that you didn't get a good night's sleep. Insomnia is fairly common, as well as night terrors, partners' snoring, eating too much before bed, and a variety of other reasons.

In the middle of Psalm 3, we find David thanking God for a good night's sleep. Here's what he says:

I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me. (Psalm 3:5)

Maybe you're thinking to yourself, well, what's so remarkable about that? David was the king of Israel, lived in a palace, probably had a king size bed, luxurious surroundings. How could he not have slept well?

Yet the incredible thing is that David didn't spend the night in his palace. Neither was he in a Hilton hotel, nor visiting the Slieve Donard Hotel. Instead, David was on the run. David, the king, was a fugitive, and not for the first time in his life.

Earlier, David had been fleeing from King Saul, who was trying to kill him. Here in Psalm 3, David has fled Jerusalem, abandoned his royal palace because of the rebellion and uprising of Absalom his son. You can read the full story in 2 Samuel 15-18. Absalom had set himself up against his father and against the LORD, got together a rabble of rebels, and set himself as king.

David and his company are on the run. He's in danger. His life is threatened. But David has slept well. How did he do it? Was he using some Nytol (other sleeping tablets and remedies are available)? Did he blank out the danger through use of drugs or alcohol?

David wasn't using Nytol. Instead, he was trusting in God over all.

O LORD how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying of my soul,
there is no salvation for him in God.

But you, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the LORD,
and he answered me from his holy hill. (Psalm 3:1-4)

David doesn't focus on the threat, rather he glories in his God, the one who is his shield, his glory, who lifts his head. God, the covenant LORD, who answers prayer - from his holy hill (the very place where the LORD has installed his king, his anointed, but where Absalom has captured. see Psalm 2:6).

I've mentioned before the wee note that granny has in her house which goes something like this - when you're going to bed, leave your troubles with the Lord. He'll be up all night anyway. That's what David is demonstrating here. Focus on the Lord and his character and power, and not on your troubles, and you can sleep easy: 'for he gives to his beloved sleep.' (Psalm 127:2)

Sleep well tonight!

Fast or Still?

This is one of my New York photos. A night time long exposure in which some people are standing still, but other people are moving! An interesting effect, and to be honest, turned out a lot better than I expected! My best photography work is still the accidental or not-fully-intended shot!

Things That Go Bump

I think I've blogged about this before, but my nighttime horrors are back again. We're up at New Horizon, so
in a strange place and a strange bed. Didn't sleep well last night.

My dreams have been extremely vivid these past few nights. Last night I was in a bomb scare in Lurgan, and my car was at the centre of it. Didn't sleep much with that going on in my head. The night before, as we celebrated our anniversary, I was so caught up in a dream, thinking I was watching a parade and people attacked it that I launched a great karate kick - think of Eric Cantona's flying kick- only I connected with Lyns. Oops. Not good to be shouting, screaming and kicking the wife. And all in my sleep.

Perhaps I need to see someone about my nocturnal disturbances. For my sake, but especially for my wife's!

At least she's getting a break as the university accommodation we're staying in is all single rooms.

One down, five to go!

The first exam has been done, and I have lived to tell the tale. This morning it was an early start (after not a great night's sleep - music, and pillow wrestling and regular wakings up) and down into Dublin for the Soteriology exam. This was our two hour exam, with three questions to be answered. I think two were quite good, and the other was fine.

I'm not used to such sustained writing - afterwards my head hurt a bit and my hand was sore, so I took an easy afternoon. Had a lie down for a while, did some reading, then went for a walk.

Our New Testament exam is tomorrow afternoon, so I'll hopefully get a bit of a lie in. Four questions in three hours. Bring it on!

Insomnia

Have you ever felt like this? As the evening draws on, you get tireder and tireder (if indeed, there is such a word). Then once you get to bed, you feel more awake than ever... and sleep just will not come.

Of course you have... most people can't sleep from time to time. What's unique, I suppose, is that most people don't blog about it.

For all intents and purposes, I should be sound asleep. I've had a good day, some walking (albeit in and around Belfast), enjoyed the company of friends, had more driving tonight than normal on the way to Dublin, as there was serious traffic on the Newry bypass and right through the border to Ravensdale - so we took a circular route out round by Omeath, Greenore, Lordship and coming out at Ballymascanlon roundabout. As I was reading in bed, my eyes got sore and slightly watery - not tears, but a sort of flushing phenomenon that happens from time to time (as any good phenomenon should!)... so I turned out the lights. But to no avail. Tossed and turned for a while, shifted position, went to the toilet, adjusted the covers... but still sleep aint coming.

So I thought I would check emails, counter stats, forums, and at the last instance blog. Partly to share my tale of woe, and partly to try to make me tired again! But also to remind myself of the unsleeping One, the One who watches over us all:

I lift my eyes up to the hills. From where doesmy help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will notlet your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121:1-4)

If God's doing the night shift, then there's no point in me being awake! Rather, with the Psalmist I will 'remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night' (Ps 63:6)

Good night!

Sleepwalking

Some of you may already know, but I seem to have a bit of a problem around the whole area of sleepwalking. I didn’t know I had a problem until dad asked what I was doing at night in my room – him having heard me shouting or wandering about through the night.

And then the more famous incidents happened when I went on youth weekends, camps and holidays. Here I share them, for your amusement (and fear if you have to share a room with me in future!).

A few years ago, at BB Camp in the Isle of Wight, we had problems getting the camp beds set up during the day, fully awake. They were particularly difficult to assemble, and seemed to be even harder to disassemble. But, not for me! That first night, I managed to take down my camp bed, and fold it up neatly…while asleep! Then later in the week, my watch went missing – eventually to have been found in someone else’s bag… the only explanation being I had put it there while asleep.

At a YF weekend a few years back, Scott was on the top bunk, and I was in the bottom bunk, and he awoke, to find me staring at him (while sleeping), with the lights in the room on. The same weekend, my duvet went missing through a night, and it appears that I had put it in the wardrobe while sleepwalking.

Then last year, we went over to England for a few days, and on the first night, Scott woke up to find that I had put my pillow over his face (but hadn’t pressed down!). He was a bit more cautious after that, for some reason!

Not long after, I was in England with work, and sharing a room with my boss… but the worst that happened was three conversations in my sleep, which got increasingly agitated. Hazlett was a bit worried, I think!

Recently, there, I was in Brussels with Hazlett again, and he heard me talking in my sleep in an English accent – where that came from, I have no notion!
I think that’s all the occasions, but no doubt others will come to mind, or people will remind me of horrific occasions!