Where credit is due...

My first thought upon waking this morning was "Thank you God." It's a nice first thought to have.

After several very restless, pain filled, and mostly sleepless nights, I was praying prayers of desperation as I fell asleep last night, knowing my body (and by extension my mind and emotions) badly needed the restorative nature of a full night of sleep. I have to say that I don't always stop to give credit where credit is due, and that sometimes I wonder if God really cares about all the petty little things we pray about, but this morning, on waking, all I could think was "Thank you." Because there was no reason other than the blessing of a caring Father that I should have slept.

I read the following passage from Philippians 4 just before I went to bed last night, and found it's simplicity in the call to prayer and peace encouraging:

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:6-7 NLT)

"Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace." How very simple and non-formulaic. And yet, last night, I know without doubt that God heard my request (as well as some prayers of thanksgiving) and offered peace and rest in the form of a full night's sleep.

And it really has helped with perspective. For the first time all week I'm feeling physically much better - not nauseaous, and mostly pain free. And emotionally stable, instead of strung out, hormonal, and wondering what sort of wild ride through the stuff of life the day will bring.

I listened to the first album my friend Karla Adolphe recorded as I drove to work this morning. Her lyrics (particularly the song "Jude") also touched raw places in me and brought peace.

And now, now I'm at the office, and preparing to start the day. I'm wearing jeans - which is always a good thing. I'm off to make tea and toast with peanut butter (I'm in one of those odd phases my body hits where I crave protein.) I have a plan for the day (well, mostly for the after work portion of the day, since work is nearly always completely unpredictable), and I know how I'm going to execute the plan. That, I have to say, also adds to my sense of peace.