At about 3:30 a.m., I was awakened in the night and had a tough time falling back to sleep.  It’s not often that this happens, but not unusual, either.  When it does, if I wake up too much, my mind gets carried away with worry.

I mulled over the things I needed to do later in the day and dissected a few past situations that I could have handled better.  My anxiety grew to a restless level.  Then I remembered what I’ve learned in recent years about the power of gratitude. 

I took a few deep breaths and directed my thoughts to things for which I am grateful.  I also said some simple words of praise to God for his awesome goodness to me.  As each thought came to mind, I felt a deep peace and calm rise from within me.  My body relaxed, and I drifted off to sleep. 

Today’s reflection from Prepare Your Heart for a Great Christmas invited me to come up with some new items for the gratitude list.  So, I included “falling back to sleep this morning.”  Now, as I look back over the day, I can also add “the day’s activities going much more smoothly than I feared in the dark, wee hours of the morning.”  I’ve experienced it before, and it’s good to be reminded again:  when I place my life in the context of God’s abundant goodness, there’s no room for anxiety or worry.