Two Powerful Words to Use in a Hard Circumstance

Two Powerful Words to Use in A Hard Circumstance -christyfitzwater.com

Years ago, when my kids were still young, insomnia introduced itself to me. I used to sleep solid all night, and then one night I woke up early, about the time bakers are waking up to get doughnuts going, and couldn’t go back to sleep. Insomnia became a regular part of my life. It wasn’t uncommon for me to get only four hours of sleep, maybe five.

For a few years I writhed and cried and moaned and called out to God in the dark, begging him to help me go back to sleep. Angry and frustrated, I added emotional misery to physical fatigue.

One night I got tired of being upset all the time, so I decided to change my response to being awake. (Matt would say I set my jaw to the wind.)

Instead of groping for a pair of boxing gloves, to have it out with God while I tossed and turned, I began to say two powerful words: Okay, Lord.

If God was not going to remove the insomnia from my life (which I believed he could –hence the anger), then I chose to believe he must have been offering the trial to me as something necessary. I decided to open my hands and accept what he was allowing to happen.

In the story of Job, we read about the worst day a man can experience. After a day of calamities, Job’s wife turns to him and says, “Curse God and die!” But he says to her:

Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” (Job 2:9-10 NIV)

After losing all of his possessions, servants, and 10 children, Job is willing to look to heaven and say, Okay, Lord.

When I wake up early in the night now (and this has been happening for over 15 years), I lay awake and pray, but it’s not an angry lashing out. It’s a service to people who weigh on my heart –a strange, wee-hour vigil I keep. I pray for people who are hurting or who need courage. I pray for my kids and my husband. I choose to use my mid-night awake time instead of despising it.

What difficult circumstance are you fighting against? How might your experience change, if you were willing to say, Okay to God?

5 Comments

  1. Denise Kean says:

    Christy, I have struggled with insomnia for years. This is the first time I have seen a Christian deal with it in the way you have. Thank you, SO MUCH!!! I have struggled just as you’ve said… angry with God, with migraines and tension headaches because of lack of sleep… I am going to do as you suggest!! God is so GOOD!! THANK YOU!!!!

    1. I’m so sorry to hear about your insomnia. It really is awful to deal with. If I’m awake in the night, I also have started saying, “Lord, you know how much sleep I need, and you’re the only one who can give it to me.” Then I choose to accept whatever he gives me in the night. The complete submission to God’s will regarding my sleep helps me to relax. I pray the Lord will show you his goodness through this trial. Thanks for taking the time to write me a note!

      1. Denise Kean says:

        Thank you so much. I will remember and pray the same way!! God bless you!!

  2. Love this! As a fellow insomniac, I totally needed to hear this 🙂

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