By, Jen Helton
“I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:
for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.”
Psalms 4:8
I have an innate talent for overthinking everything. Along with this gift comes an amazing ability to hypothesis and imagine every possible worst scenario to everything and how I will react and prepare myself should said apocalypse occur. This gift chooses to demonstrate itself at the exact moment that I pillow my head at night. #Blessed. This creates roughly an hour to two hours of what I like to call “pillow prep” as I try to quiet my mind and think rationally.
My husband is the polar opposite. When that man’s head hits the pillow, he is gone without a care in the world. It makes me absolutely nauseous! So I asked him one night before the daily “what if” cycle commenced, “How do you do it? How do you fall asleep so fast without a care in the world?” He looked over at me and smiled and said
“I place all my cares on the pillow.”
Um…What? What does that even mean. He explained to me that as soon as he hits the pillow, he begins (internally) to list all his cares and worries to God in one or two words. Some people have a grocery list, but the hubs has a worry list. He shared with me that once he places his worries on the pillow, they lay there for God to take. He sleeps in perfect peace knowing that God is with him. And when I say he sleeps in perfect peace, I mean his sleep is so solid that it is enough to make me barf as I sit wondering if a random astroid is going to fall on our apartment or my 20 year daughter is going to find her way out of Walmart. You get the idea.
This process has affectionately been referred to as the “Pillow Principle”. It has helped me to remember that God sees every care and worry that I have. He just wants me to place it on the pillow so He can take it and give me peace… peace that passeth understanding.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6,7
Friend, what is troubling you? When was the last time you had a deep and restful sleep resting in the palm of God’s hand? We live in a sinful world, and it seems there is something new to fear or worry about around every corner! It is time to practice the Pillow Principle! It is time to place all those “what if’s” on the pillow and leave them there for God to swoop up! It is time to lay down in peace and SLEEP! May we always take every care and worry to our wonderful God who can guard us through His Son, Jesus Christ, and give us peace that “passeth all understanding!” Sweet dreams!
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