7 Thing Keeping Me Awake Tonight

I worked a twelve and half hour day on the acute rehab unit today. Made chili dogs for my sons when I got home and a bowl of sautéed veggies, brown rice and quinoa for myself with a glass of pinot grigo.  Worked in my powerpoint presentation for my community health class.  And listened to my two teenage sons decend into a legit fight downstairs when they were supposed to be going to bed.  After the fight was broken up and they were all sleeping soundly from the let down of their pubescent male adrenaline rush, I sat here with another glass of pinot grigo to try and finish my powerpoint.  I didn’t finish. I ended up squeaking out a wimpy prayer for help in raising these teenage sons of mine.  I turned to my Bible.  And then, I confess, got distracted by a notification from Twitter and started perusing tweets.  I saw people’s posts about Rachel Denhollander’s victim impact statement at Larry Nassar’s sentencing hearing and the interview she gave to Morgan Lee at Christianity Today and sighed more moaning prayers of longing for Jesus to make things right.  And then my mind flooded with concerns. Concerns for sons growing up in this culture.  In this house. Concerns for the church in the U.S. Concerns for my marriage.  And then I went back to scripture.  Like coming up for air after a dive in the deep end of the pool.  And I read this:

Genesis 22:1–2

[1] After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” [2] He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (ESV)

And then my tired brain punched out these seven thoughts like take-a-number tickets at the deli.

1. I get that God is teaching us something about trusting him through the story of Abraham and Isaac.  And I even get that it foreshadows Christ, the only begotten Son of God, sacrificed for us.  But I’ve always struggled with why God would have Abraham offer his son as a burnt offering.
2. I need wisdom to raise these sons.  I’m tired and I just don’t know what to do most of the time.
3. God will take what he has given me, that I lay in obedience to him, even if it seems like I may loose the very thing he’s given me, and he will use it for his glory.  Applies to my marriage.  My sons.  My life…
4. Eating vegan for the last month has been surprisingly pleasant.  No fancy vegan frozen imitations of real meat dishes.  Just lots and lots of fresh or sautéed veggies, quinoa, brown rice, oats, nuts and more veggies.  It’s been good.  I might just keep doing this.
5. There is a real confusion in the church about what mercy and forgiveness is and how it’s different than enabling and not dealing with or exposing sin and wickedness.  I’ve seen this in my own life and marriage.  I see it in the Rachel Denhollander’s story.
6. I’m going to feel so good when I don’t have a headache, jaw pain, sinus pain and a bunch of knots in my neck and back.  After having injections in some of my facial muscles yesterday and metal rods jammed up my nose I see more injections and a root-rooter job on my sinuses in my near future.  Ugh.
7. I have a job interview tomorrow… home health.