I don’t know why I feel compelled to think deeply so late at night. Maybe my mind settles and my body stills long enough for the mishmash of rumblings in my heart to meld together into a coherent thought.
However, tonight I’m asking myself this question:
“What do I need to do tonight to bring closure to today?”
For me, wrapping up the mental and emotional loose ends of my day are like putting a bow on a present. Closure is a gift I give to myself as I give myself (and my day) to God.
The psalmist says, “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalms 4:8 NIV
But what does closure look like as I pull up the covers, scrunch my pillow into a ball, and lie in the dark waiting for sleep to come?
Often, it’s then that the vicious cycle of overthinking, replaying, and reliving the day’s events ensues until sleep has completely eluded me.
So that begs the question, “What do I need to do tonight to bring closure to today?”
If I’m honest, the answers vary based on my season of life and my circumstances. But for the sake of brevity, below are five things that have helped me call it a day as I drift off to sleep…
- Forgive. Yourself and others. Ask for it and give it…freely. (Ephesians 4:32)
- Let it go. Whatever it is, God can handle it. (I Peter 5:7)
- Give thanks. There is always, always, always something to be thankful for. (I Thessalonians 5:18)
- Remember the good. Name the good things that happened today. (Psalm 100:5; I Chronicles 16:34)
- Trust. Admit that you can’t control everything that happened in your day, but you can choose to trust God with it. (Proverbs 3:5-6; Romans 8:31)
Although this is far from an exhaustive list, for me it’s been a good starting place—one I’ve returned to over and over as the night closes in.
What about you?
Maybe, like me, you need to tie up some loose ends dangling in your heart and mind while you lie in bed waiting for sleep to come.
Tonight, let’s close out today’s ever changing cares in the loving presence of the One who is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Sleep in peace, my friends.
