The other night, I was awakened by a phone call that needed my urgent attention. Pulling myself from deep sleep, I had to quickly dress, grab my car keys, and run out the door to take care of a small emergency. Someone had had a minor accident late at night and needed to be picked up. I was distraught, but at the same time couldn’t stop thinking how things could have been so much worse. So I tried to calm my anxious heart for the next hour as I attended to the details and got everybody safely home.
As I drove on unfamiliar streets trying to find my way in the middle of the night, I prayed for everyone who had been involved and for wisdom and protection. Mostly, I thanked God that He takes care of us so wonderfully, even in difficult circumstances and even despite mistakes and blunders.
Several hours later, finally back in bed, I continued to pray and commit all these things to God’s hands. I reviewed some Bible verses and listened to some inspirational devotionals. Alone with Jesus in the darkness of the night, I felt the long hours slip away.
As time crawled by, I realized that I was not at all sleepy. The adrenaline that had surged through my body and completely awoken me when I needed to jump into action was still affecting me. So I just lay there, listening, praying, and trusting until I saw the first hint of light of the new day outside the window. Then I fell into a deep sleep for the next few hours and awoke remarkably refreshed and prepared for the day ahead.
It was an unusual night and the type I am thankful not to have to go through often. But even though I couldn’t control my reactions to the stress of the night, I felt loved and cared for. Even though I couldn’t sleep, I rested in God’s arms, and it was enough. Even though bad things happen sometimes, He protects us from worse accidents and bigger problems.
The shadows of a night can be long. We can feel lost, confused, and stressed, but we do not have to face the darkness alone. When we call on Him, God is always there, helping, keeping, comforting, until the day dawns and the shadows flee away.