He Grants Sleep

~ I took this photo of Tobin sleeping - October 2010

Over lunch today, I joked that I was going to post one of my favorite Bible verses today.  After all, what's not to love about a verse that tells us that God gives sleep to the ones He loves (which would be us!)?  :)

Here's a little history about my interaction with this verse.

First, Jeff told me about it.  I don't remember exactly when or on what occasion or even during which year of our marriage he brought this verse to my attention; but although the details are fuzzy, I'm sure that he must have brought it up when he saw me stressing out about something or other.  I was probably feeling SO busy but also feeling SO tired, and going back and forth about whether I should take a nap or not.  If my memory is right, he showed me this verse so that I would relax and take a nap.  :)  Although I had read the Bible all the way through several times, the verse had never jumped out at me until that day when Jeff made it jump!

Second, the beginning of Psalm 127 says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain."  God has to be in charge of the project for it to succeed.  And then it goes on to say, "In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat," and I could change that to "In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for a perfectly clean house" or "for organized cupboards" or "for empty laundry baskets" or what have you.  Even tonight, I look around me and think of all the household tasks I COULD be doing, and it's easy to think that the correct word is SHOULD.  But then the psalm continues with the wonderful verse, "For he grants sleep to those he loves."  Ah, yes.  Maybe, just maybe, it's OK that I go to bed now!

Third, the psalm continues with these cherished words, "Sons are a heritage from the Lord..."  As I was reading it recently, I found it interesting that in the very psalm that talks about the blessing of the full quiver, it also talks about the futility of trying to build anything in our own strength (so true in parenting!), AND it tells us that God gives us sleep.  That, to me, is very reassuring.  :)