Pillow Prayer

Those of you closest to me know that I have a difficult time facing nighttime. Ya know that little 7-year-old kid who dreads bedtime, and does everything he can possibly think of to keep from just settling in and being still?...I need a drink...I need to pee...I'm hot...I'm cold...I think I just heard something...I think I left a light on...I need a bedtime story...

well, that's SO me! :) I HATE bedtime. All day long, I dread going to sleep. I find myself wrestling with a million things, and quite honestly, it totally just wears me out until I finally don't have any other choice but to close my eyes and pass out.

Dominic has this sweet little prayer that he says every night when he goes to bed...some day I'll record him saying it and post it as an audioblog. And, although it's not the same one, I have a bedtime prayer, too! I found a dusty book on my shelf, and it's become my new best friend at bedtime. One of the prayers in this book really helped me realize that nighttime doesn't have to be such a struggle for me. It may not mean a thing to you, but I'd like to share it, anyway.

"Holy Guard of the Night Watch,
I relinquish myself to Your care. The day, crowded with demands, has wilted my strength. So, with gratitude, I lay my head upon my pillow.
Quiet my mind. Smooth from my brow the wrinkles that were knit by the concerns of the day.
Deliver me from rehashing that which, for now, cannot be altered. May Your comforting Spirit surround me with a sense of safety. In Your high intentions for me I find blessed relief.
God, who holds my yesterdays and who patrols my tomorrows, I trust in You tonight.
Amen."

Sweet Dreams,
Sarah