WHAT GETS ME THROUGH THE NIGHT

By Danelle Carvell

                                                

For me, going to sleep is like going into battle. But I make it through every time. 

I'm sitting here on a Monday morning, the day after my birthday, wanting to share something from the heart. At this point I don't know where I'm going with this or what I'm going to talk about. I only know I want my words to be an encouragement. The world needs more of that. 

I spent my birthday in bed because I've been dealing with severe sleep struggles. I've talked about this before, but for those who don't know, I've dealt with chronic insomnia since 2006. It's a neurological issue, not caused by any kind of anxiety. My brain just can't go into sleep mode. It's like a broken light switch that won't turn off. 

I would not be able to deal with it if not for my faith. That is what keeps me calm when I'm ready to jump out of my skin because I'm so exhausted and I desperately need my mind to shut down and rest. Sleep is very important, and a lack of it can be debilitating. 

Many people are dealing with health issues right now, both physically and mentally. This seems to be a difficult time for almost everyone I know. But the good thing about adversity is the way it can draw you closer to God if you let it. Some people are stubborn and refuse to seek help from Him, and they are the ones who suffer most through the trials of life. 

Why do I believe in God? Because I have seen evidence of His existence. There have been times in my life when I reached a point of desperation and I fell on my face and cried out for help. I saw an answer to those prayers almost immediately. I saw an answer to my prayer after praying for a boy when I was pregnant the first time. And again when I prayed for a girl before my daughter was born. 

Speaking of my daughter, she also saw an immediate answer to prayer just before she met her husband. God moves when we reach a point of total frustration and exhaustion. He rescues us when we are at our wits end. And when we learn to surrender every aspect of our lives to Him, we are set free from fear, anxiety and all types of worry. 

This is the way He meant for us to live. He wants us to take every problem to Him in prayer and trust that He will get us through it. Life is far too difficult to navigate solo. But many choose to deal with their problems on their own. That must be a lonely feeling. Deep down they have to feel an emptiness because God created us to need Him. 

He put into every human being a desire to connect with the creator. When people refuse to make that connection, they will seek fulfillment in other areas in order to fill that void. Maybe they are adventure seekers or they become workaholics. Some people turn to material things, alcohol, sex, drugs, or food to fill the void. Something else will always take the place of God when we shove Him out of our lives. Because that empty hole in the heart that was meant for God needs to be filled.

Someone recently called me "religious" because I believe in God. I could have told him that he's religious too. There's something in his life that he is doing to replace God. And that has become his religion. I suspect it might be drinking because he was sitting in a bar at the time and I saw signs that he spends quite a lot of time there.

Now please don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not saying that if you go to a bar, you are trying to fill a void. I was obviously in a bar when I saw this guy, so I would have to include myself if I was suggesting all people who drink are lacking God. What I'm saying is that we all have an empty hole in the heart that was meant for God, and if we don't fill that empty space with Him, we will find something else to comfort us. 

Comfort is exactly what He gives me when I'm having a hard time. I don't know where I would be or what state of mind I would be in if I had ignored God's comfort over the years. I've been through some very difficult things. If someone had told me ahead of time the things I would go through, I would have been disturbed by that prediction. 

But I have to say that some of that pain was caused by my own decisions and my being distant from God when I was younger. My life wouldn't have been so messed up if I had put Him in my heart sooner and made Him number one. We bring things on ourselves and then blame God for not helping us. But He was there all along just waiting for me to invite Him to be my guiding light.

So the encouragement I want to give you today is asking yourself who or what you are being comforted by. And how is that working out for you? When I can't sleep, I have a favorite verse that I repeat over and over:

"Do not fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold onto you with my righteous hand."

That is what gets me through the night. I completely trust that Bible verse and I believe God cannot lie. He must fulfill His promise to me every time I cry out to Him. 

What mountain in your life could be moved by spending time with God and filling that empty space in your heart with the only thing that really fits there? Faith has more power than anything you try to replace it with. But you will never experience the power unless you give in to it and give God the time and attention He deserves.