It’s really important to correctly time your sleep or your internal clock can get all messed up. 

We just changed our clocks forward last Saturday. It was the big one because we lost an hour of sleep. I’ve heard that it can take up to three days to adjust to that time change. 

I believe our bodies know when to get rest, but I also believe we can mess up our internal clocks so that our bodies don’t act properly.

Sunday, the day after the clocks changed, I felt pretty tired in the afternoon. I had had a tiring day the day before and I also lost an hour of sleep that night. 

I use a lot of energy preaching on Sundays so I am often tired in the afternoon … this particular afternoon a little more so. 

By evening I had recovered and had my energy back. I watched a hockey game that disappointed me and left me feeling unsettled. So I put on a movie which would run until it was time to head to bed … to be fair, a little later than my regular bedtime.

Because I had taken a nap in the afternoon, by the end of the movie I was still wide awake. But it was late and time to turn in for the night, so I made my way to bed. 

The problem was that my mind was going a mile a minute. As sleepy as I had been in the afternoon, my brain was now firing on all cylinders as I lay in bed. 

I tossed one way, then another. I fixed my pillow and turned some more. 

My internal clock was so messed up that I just could not get to sleep.

It’s like Christmas Eve for children. The anticipation of the next day – Christmas morning with all the presents – keeps them from settling down and sleeping. They are wide awake. 

That’s why so many kids have melt downs on Christmas Day, even though it is one of their happiest days of the year. Their internal clocks are so messed up they are tired when they should be wide awake.

I’m not sure how long I tossed back and forth in bed, but at one point I decided that was enough. I needed something to settle me down. 

They say it’s not good to have a screen on just before you go to sleep, but I have a great ability to fall asleep with a TV on. 

So I got up, headed downstairs and put on another movie. 

It was an action movie. For most people that would work against them sleeping, but for me it doesn’t matter. 

It was not long before my eyes were shut and the flickering light from the television was bouncing off my closed eyelids.

Maybe the movie wasn’t good. All I know is that it got my internal clock to work again. When I woke up, I shut everything down and went back to bed … and straight to sleep. 

Here’s the thing: There are times in your life when your spiritual clock will be more apparent in your life. There will be interest; there will be opportunity. Don’t miss paying attention to your spiritual clock. You might have a hard time getting it on track if you mess it up.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What can you do to pay attention to your spiritual clock? Leave your comments and questions below.

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