THE COUCH'S BEDTIME TALE

My son goes through these very interesting moments when it comes to his sleeping habits.  For no apparent reason, out of the blue, he will sleep on the couch just feet away from my bed instead of his own bed in his own room for a number of consecutive days. Then he just goes back to sleeping in his room. Poof! He also tends to get very upset with me, when I open the windows and then do not take the extra time to assure I lock them after I return them to there closed position.  The manly security detail aside, it is the sleeping thing that baffles me. 

When he was younger, he would do the same thing but he would climb in bed with me instead.  Why does he do this?  He has told me he doesn't know - he just does.  Can I confess something? I love when he does it! Somehow, I feel that all is right and all is okay when I can hear that healthy (loud is a better word) snore rumbling from the couch. 

There are times when the hustle and bustle of the day gets to be hectic, hellish and just plain old foolish.  On those days, I often crawl into bed, a few feet from the heavenly throne and lay at God's feet.  There I am comforted and I feel like all is right and all is well with my soul - even if I leave a bucket of tears there or just cry out incoherently.  I wonder if his sleeping on the couch my little man's way of telling me that he senses something in me and so he sleeps near in an effort to assure me that all is okay with him and thus all is really okay with me. 

At the foot of the throne, I fall asleep quickly and soundly, much the way Mr. Man falls asleep quickly and soundly on the couch.  There is something about falling into slumber near our parent, near God, that makes rest a welcome activity.  When you rest at the throne, I know, for I have experienced that warmth, that God comes to pick us up and place us safely in His arms. Then like He is telling a gentle bedtime story He talks to us in our dreams about those things that have felt hectic, hellish and just plain old foolish.  He gives us a remedy for the moment or comfort when we simply need to face what is happening around us. 

When is the last time you fell asleep at the foot of the throne?  When is the last time you heard the wonderful bedtime story that only The Divine can tell you - no fairy tale, no forced happy ending - but His wonderful truth, promises and assurance to be there?  What a wonderful place to find rest, where The Father can gather you into the blanket of His wings. 

Goodnight my sweet one.