Nighttime can be noisy, at least in my house. Our cat, Buddy, likes to sleep with my husband and me every night. Buddy is a good ol’ cat, but he snores. He usually sleeps on the bottom right side of our bed, just below my feet. My six-foot husband, to my left, also snores—not necessarily in harmony with Buddy. It has been suggested that I join that snore symphony, but I never hear that!
Add to that cacophony the occasional sounds of emergency sirens from the vehicles at the firehouse a couple of streets from our house. And I cannot forget the young gent who lives across the street from us who, for reasons I don’t know, sometimes decides to warm up his large diesel-fueled pickup truck to go out driving at about 12:45 a.m. I think he works for a repair garage, so he may be going out to rescue a driver in need, so I should not really pronounce judgement.
With the various night sounds comes the opportunity for me to be awake in the darkness of the room. Instead of being annoyed, I can decide to add a little prayer time to my tossing and turning. Certainly it is good to have a regular daily prayer routine, but impromptu prayer minutes can be stress-free and thought-provoking.
One such prayer-poem I have written could, perhaps, find a place on someone’s nightstand.
Sing me a lullaby, Jesus.
Put a love song in my heart.
Fondle my fears ‘til they fizzle;
Give my sleep time a good start.
Christ, be the Lord of my dreaming;
Send all my nightmares away.
Grant me forgiveness and mercy
For sins I chose yesterday.
Thank you for all of my blessings.
I know there are more to come.
Tuck me into your joy and peace,
Keep my loved ones safe, every one.
†††
Photograph by Acton Crawford on Unsplash
Sharon Krause is a RENEW volunteer whose writing has appeared in several resources for small-group faith sharing. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother residing in Manchester, Connecticut. Over the years, she has served in many parish ministries.