Can't Sleep

It's 1:45 in the morning and I cannot sleep. My eyelids are heavy and want to stay closed while at the same time my mind is racing. This racing is what was keeping me awake in bed. This is the sixth night that I've been able to sleep in my own bed away from Laurel, MS. But in my mind I have not left.

Have you ever been doing something repetitive all day and dreamed about it at night? I know of times in the past when I had played on the computer for so long that I kept seeing the game in my sleep when I finally went to bed about this time in the morning.

Well, I've been in that condition since I've been back. While in Laurel I was loading and unloading and stacking and pulling canned goods (as well as other supplies).

I'm still doing this...only now it's in my sleep. And I've not had but one day off since Hurricane Katrina blessed us with her presence. So I'm wearing down. I know it. But I can't seem to do anything about it. I feel the need to take care of my own parishioners here as well as the passion to care for those who are in desperate need elsewhere. And so I continue to not sleep.

Well, that's not exactly true. I did something yesterday that I've never done before. I was in the church trying to figure out what God wanted me to preach on this Sunday, and in the silence of my meditating, I dozed off. There I was lying on the front pew of Avon, UMC asleep. I sure am glad no one came in.

But to make matters worse, as I lie awake in bed (even though my eyes were closed) my mind traveled to all those who are about to lose everything in TX. Rita has turned into a category 5 and is said to the hardest hitting hurricane to ever hit TX. Of course it hasn't got there yet. God can provide miracles. He did earlier this year with Dennis. Please God...do the same this morning with Rita.

But unless God performs another of His miracles, there will be a lot more damage to speak of next week. Hopefully getting this down and out of my head will allow me to sleep. So I am going to bed. But before I do, I have one request of the very few listeners who will ever read this. My request is that you pray. Pray for those whose lives have been affected in a major way by Katrina. Pray for the safety of those who are trying to help others right now down on the coast and in New Orleans. Pray for the dissipation of Rita. Pray for those already affected and those who will possibly be affected by her as well. Pray for a country whose been divided in so many ways over the last several years to come together in love and help those who need it most. Just pray.

Good night and God bless.
greg