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Reflection: |
One cannot put
a price on the restorative power of a good night's
sleep. More and more studies are confirming the
importance of sleep to a person's well-being, mood,
longevity of life, etc. I heard recently that sleep even
has the power to restore a "B" student to an "A"
student. Yet the ways of our culture work against the
restoration of mind, body, and spirit that comes from an
adequate amount of sleep. Technology enables us to
work 24/7. Malls with extended hours have enabled us to
Christmas shop day and night, even throughout the night.
And caffeine, found even in doughnuts and potato chips,
gives us the energy to keep going. Isn't needed sleep
sacrificed in a culture that enables us to get things
done at all hours?
The above verse is a plea for Israel's restoration, a
plea for God's mercy in the wake of Israel's
disobedience and punishment. The verse looks forward,
also, to the coming of Christ, the incarnate God. The
celebration of this first coming will soon be upon us.
Are we ready to receive our Savior this Christmas Day?
Are we ready to receive the restorative power that only
He can offer us day in and day out? Or is the
unrelenting pace of a culture that gets in the way of
sleep also getting in the way of things spiritual?
We must allow time for God to restore our souls. We
must remember the importance of the Sabbath Day. We must
speak with God on a daily basis and seek His guidance.
We must renew ourselves through His Word and Sacrament.
And we must not be so concerned with the "here and now"
that we fail to see beyond the days of stress-filled
lives. Because of Him we are "ransomed, healed,
restored, forgiven" and have the promise of eternal
life. In short, we have the peace of being saved. |