Sleepless in Seattle...and in Memphis and every small town inbetween

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan aren't the only ones that find themselves sleepless. Many of us suffer from sleeplessness or insomnia. I have recently become one of these statistics. Surprisingly enough, I am not alone. Not only are people sleepless in Seattle, but also in Memphis (where I live) and all of the small towns in between:

Did you know?

• People today sleep 20% less than they did 100 years ago.
• 1 in 3 people suffer from some form of insomnia in their lifetime.
•  More than half of Americans lose sleep because of stress or anxiety.
•  Between 40-60% of people over the age of 60 suffer from insomnia.
•  Women suffer from insomnia twice as much as men.
• 90% of people who suffer from depression experience insomnia.
•  Approximately 10 million people in the U.S. use sleep aids.

          (Stats taken from National Sleep Foundation)

While we are tossing and turning and counting sheep, so are many other people in the world. But there is one person Who also  has insomnia, divine insomnia that is and that is God. He has the whole world in His hands. He watches over us continually. He never sleeps or gets restless. Gods insomnia is different than ours. We stay awake because of stress and problems, He stays awake out of faithfulness.

 PSALM 121:3 "He Who watches over you will not slumber."

He is a faithful God. It is reassuring to me to know that no matter what lurks around me, especially at night, He is on guard. Watching, protecting and interceding.

Last night when I found myself sleepless, instead of counting sheep, I counted my blessings. Next time you find yourself sleepless in (_____ insert your town name here) ... cry out to God and give Him thanks for watching over you.