Stop

I wake up at 4:30 AM.

Often.

Like nearly every day.

For no apparent reason.

Some mornings (Can we really call it that? There's no sun, no birds chirping, no aroma of coffee, no rooster crowing, nothing awake in the entire universe. And we call it MORNING?!) my mind keeps rhythm with my heart, recalling with great speed the worries of the day. My mental calculator computes upcoming expenses. Activities and responsibilities land punches to my gut. I lie there, too tired to get up, too tense to sleep.

I curse my blasted hormones, roll over and release a heavy sigh. The to do list I didn't finish the day before floats into memory and I add to it, my breathing accelerating.

I try to shake it from my head, roll over and release a heavy sigh. I remember the towels I left in the washer the night before. Drat.

No Tami. Stop thinking. Relax.

I flip my pillow, roll over and release a heavy sigh.

But some days I remember the right way to tackle my annoying early morning wake-up call.

Stop fighting,
stop resisting,
stop complaining,
and start trusting your sovereign heavenly Father;
refuse to worry.”

Chip Ingram

I endure patiently. I let go.

I stop thinking.

Stop mulling.

Stop worrying.

I say a prayer, take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

Sleep doesn't come and I wonder how I'll get through the busy day ahead.

I meditate on scripture, take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

I watch the numbers on the clock change and rub my eyes.

Then, I whisper the name of Jesus, take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

Eventually I'll get it. Practice makes perfect, right? Maybe one day I'll thank God for the before-the-crack-of-dawn party He provides.

Because one day I'll know that's when I learned to TRUST.


To read other impressions of this quote, join our host Kathryn at Expectant Hearts.

Photo Credit: ladybeames