I'm the type of person who can sleep anywhere, anytime. I need at least nine hours of sleep a night to function. I've been known to sleep while in the middle of a conversation, at church, while driving, and on the toilet (yep, I'm good)!
I had a sleep study done a few years ago because I started to worry that something was wrong with me. It turned out that I had a few issues and began taking medicine and wearing a mouth guard while I slept.
All was fine for several years, but we recently started noticing some issues (and by "we" I mean Vince). I started snoring through my mouth guard (think large truck driver), I would kick all night long like a karate champion (think Ralph Macchio) and I started needing naps again (think newborn baby).
I begrudgingly went back for another sleep study. I was quickly diagnosed with sleep apnea. My only option for treatment was to sleep with a CPAP machine...for the rest of my life! Needless to say, I was not happy. (Do yourself a favor and google CPAP machine...it isn't pretty).
The first few nights were HORRIBLE! I felt like I was being smothered under water (think Aqua Man, but without his powers), my entire face was covered by the mask (think Hannibal Lecter), and my nose started bleeding in several places (I'm not even going to ask you to think about that).
Despite all the nastiness, something amazing happened: I immediately woke up each morning and got out of bed!
I'm sure you're thinking, "So what! Everyone wakes up and gets out of bed!" Well, you'd be wrong. I have never just woken up and gotten out of bed. There is lots of snooze-bar-action, there is begging and pleading with my husband and children for 5 MORE MINUTES, there is bribing, there is occasional crying, and lots of falling back asleep.
So, you can understand why waking up and getting out of bed is such a big deal. To wake up and not be tired is simply unfathomable. To actually sing a song before having caffeine inserted into my veins is just absurd. To only sleep-in until 9am on a Saturday is just plain crazy!!! But all these things started happening to me! My life completely changed. I was a new woman!
So here's why I share all these embarrassing details from my bedroom...
Are you sleeping through life? Not physically, but spiritually? I had no idea that life could be lived in such a way. I was always tired and it effected every area of my life. Does your relationship with God need a checkup? Does something in your spiritual life need to change so you can have an active, joyful, peace-filled, intimate relationship with God?
Do you have spiritual sleep apnea? Sleep apnea basically means that your breathing stops or slows down while you're sleeping. Is your relationship with God healthy and vibrant, or stale and lifeless?
Do you need a spiritual awakening? Does something need to change in your life to allow this awakening to occur? What is one step you can take today towards improved health in your relationship with God? I promise it will be worth it!
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