Sleepless in Chicago

I can't sleep. It's like 11:30pm and I'm wide awake. This may not be late to some of you, but for me it's painfully late. My normal bedtime is 9pm because my alarm starts making noise at 4:30am. Granted, I had the day off today so I slept until 7:30am this morning which is probably why I'm not tired.

But believe it or not, the point of this post isn't to  ramble about my nocturnal habits. Although a measure of self-pity sounds awfully inviting at the moment. And the point of this post is not to discuss various ways to induce oneself to sleep - although that too entices me. And the point of this post isn't even to just keep writing until I get tired.

So what IS the point you may  not so patiently be asking?

The point is to reflect on what we do when we desperately want something (in my case sleep) and no amount of self-effort can bring it about.

How do we react? How do we cope? What is our first reaction? What is our last ditch attempt?  How long does it take us to come to terms with the fact that we have absolutely no control over certain things? And what does our coping techniques, or lack thereof, really say about us? About our relationship with Christ? With ourselves?

I believe we discover the strength of our faith and trust and in God only when we are in a situation in which we have no control whatsoever of the outcome.

Granted, not being able to sleep is a harmless inconvenience. But what if it was losing a job, or my health, or a loved one? It's how I respond to those type of hurricane-like-events that let me know whether I will recieve a medal of honor on judgement day or not.

And how does one prepare for such calamaties? Scripture provides the answer:

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you...Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:...Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world."  (I Peter 5:7-9)

GLADIATOR or SPECTATOR

"Fight the good fight for what we believe. Hold tightly to the eternal life that God hs given you, hich you have confessed so well before many witnesses. " I Timothy 6:12


God impressed me in prayer this morning that in the Christian walk there are Gladiators and there are Spectators. There are those who wear the name Christian, who - methephorically speaking - lay on their side, eating grapes and watching with amusement those that are getting bloodied in the fight of faith.



Spectators are faithful attenders - they go to church.And Spectators provide financial support - they are often tithes payers. But a Spectator will never get in the arena, never engage in hand-to-hand combat, and will only defend the faith if doesn't cause them any pain.


Gladiators on the other hand are true warriors. They are the brave men and women of God who fought and, in some cases lost their lives both in the Collesium in Rome during the height of Christian persecution, and still today on the mission field.


And then there are the Gladiators who may not shed actual blood, but who toil in prayer, sacrifice in ministry and would die for their beliefs. Most Pastors are these kind of Gladiators. Many Sunday School Teachers and Youth Workers know what it's like to fight in the spirit for the souls in their care.


And alot of us fight the good fight each and every day for those we love. We pray for them, serve them and show them the love of Christ at a personal cost to ourselves.

And that is what being a good Gladiator is all about.

-Debbie Simler-Goff