Sleep Tight

This is something I have been pondering lately, particularly when I wish our boys one last good night before I head to bed. After our house was broken into in the middle of the night, I often quoted the verse in Psalms that says, "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety." This often gave me the peace to let myself go to sleep in those first few nights and weeks.

This verse popped into my head again recently as I was giving my final goodnight wishes to our sons. I looked at the boys, both sleeping so peacefully and lying snuggly warm in their beds. I thought of all the children in the world who don't have a bed, don't have a warm home, or don't have dinner each night before going to sleep. Or of those children who are abused, unloved, or stricken with disease. Or of those children whose countries are torn apart by civil war, terrorism, or crime. These things are the norm for so many children around the world. I can only imagine the heartbreak that must produce in the hearts and minds of their parents or caregivers. I was reminded not of how lucky I am to be able to put my boys to sleep without having to fear for their safety or well-being, but of how blessed I am. It is only by God's grace I wasn't born in a country where something as simple as laying one's head down in sleep can equal not waking up in the morning.

It truly is a blessing to see little eyes closed in sleep or a little head poking out from beneath a warm blanket and to hear the steady breathing of blissful rest or the rustle of sheets and blankets as a child shifts in sleep. Thank you Lord, for allowing my children to lie down in peace and to sleep, in safety.