Night Hours

   I drape myself over the railing, basking in the combination of warm and cool which feather my skin. I am like the pansies currently thriving in baskets here on my deck. 'They do not toil or spin,' but their Creator takes tender care of them, as He does me.
   In the night hours, worries and anxieties sometimes assail me, and that neverland between sleep and consciousness leaves me vulnerable to concerns which seem relatively insignificant in the day. I wish that I could turn a switch off as I say 'goodnight' to my mind and sleep the slumber of the lilies of the field.  I know the Father desires it, just as I always want my own children to sleep in peace, safety, and contentment.
   Knowing Scriptures by heart helps stem the tide of worries that can wash over my mind in waves. But my thoughts will often slip into the watery depths, taken by other currents or stuck in eddies which go round and round. I have to swim against the mental tide to return to the peace of His Word once again.
   I know this happens to others, too, because they have shared similar experiences with me.  How blessed we are to know that we are never alone in the night or the day. How my heart breaks for those who don't yet know the Author of Peace, the One Who says He will never leave or forsake us and that no one can snatch us from His hand, once we have chosen to entrust our lives to Him.
   Sleep in peace, dear friends.  May you rest in His love both in the day and in the wee night hours.
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"I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."
--Psalm 4:9