In a recent post, I wrote about making REST a priority. And sure enough the other night I was so tired I fell asleep in my chair reading. Stephen sent me to bed only for me to lay there unable to fall asleep. In the time it took me to walk back to the bedroom my mind started racing with all the to-do’s I needed to complete. From work responsibilities to church tasks, to school work I started to panic about how I was going to get everything done.

Has this happened to you? The minutes turn to hours and before you know it the alarm is blaring.

So what should we do? Grandma always told me to count my blessings and that would help me sleep. Grandma may have stolen that from a Bing Crosby song but you know what it worked.

As a child in Florida, my cousin and I were laying in our sleeping bags as the wind started to howl. A hurricane was heading for the coast. Fear was settling in as the branches of a tree kept knocking on the bedroom window casting an eerie shadow. Fear gripped me and I had a hard time falling asleep. My mother advised that when fear takes hold, start praying and focus on God and not the object causing fear.

Another thing that helps calm me is to praying Scripture. God’s Word is a powerful tool against fear and anything holding you back from REST.