There was a monk who kept waking in the night. Trying all the known means of going back to sleep he asked God why he kept waking. God's reply was that the monk was so busy during the day that the night-time was the only time he could could get to speak to him.
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I'm awake all night—not a wink of sleep;
I can't even say what's bothering me.
I go over the days one by one,
I ponder the years gone by.
I strum my lute all through the night,
wondering how to get my life together. (Psalm 77:6-7 The Message)
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This blog responds to a need. Many people in my little counselling practice talk to me about sleep - or their lack of it. But when you can't sleep, what do you do if counting sheep doesn't work any more?
Well, wouldn't it be nice if someone had devised an easily-remembered litany which could provide a rich prayer/worship time? So far as I know, it hasn't yet been done, so here's my tentative effort.
Feel free to adapt it to your style/needs. It's meant to be a broad-brush approach: as the introduction points out we each have a unique relationship with the living God, differing liturgical and theological stances...
Who am I? Rowland Croucher, an Australian (but really a 'world-citizen') called to be a sort of 'pastor to pastors' but really a 'pastor to anyone'. I spend my life listening to God and listening to people; writing stuff (Google my name or John Mark Ministries); preaching and seminaring in many churches, in Australia and elsewhere... But above all, I too am on a journey to get to know God better and share with others the understandings which have come to me in 72 years of an interesting life.
So let's go... and may God grant you peace, especially in those sleepless hours! Here's a blessing from John Rutter for you as you begin...
Peace!
Rowland Croucher
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