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Giving Up On Good: Sleep

I learned about this link up on Jessi's blog (btw, be sure to go there and link up too!) and liked the idea of giving up one good thing in order to gain something better, but nothing was really coming to mind for me to personally give up on.  Finally, I thought of one. 

Sleep.
And the timing couldn't really be more appropriate because it's something I've actually really been working hard on in the past couple of days.

I really really like early mornings.  I love having coffee (with lots of creamer) in one hand, my Bible (and journal) in another and a comfortable amount of time to spend with my Lord Jesus.  If it wasn't for Him, I probably wouldn't really care for mornings- at least not as much as I do now- but it's a sweet, peaceful time to think and pray and soak in what He has for me before life starts getting very loud, as it so often does throughout the day.
There's just nothing like spending the very first part of my day with Him and I have found that it's hard for me to find time to be with just Him if it doesn't happen then.  That's why I'm giving up on sleep.
Not all sleep (obviously).  Just the sleep that becomes an idol.  Because it does become an idol when I choose it over time to spend with the Lord.
And the thing is, it's not that when I have to miss a morning of being with Him, I've sinned.  It's really not all as black and white as I would see it. It's about my heart. This verse from 1 Samuel 16 is a refreshing reminder:
. . ."The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (verse 7)
In my heart, do I value sleep (and therefore my comfort) over spending time gaining knowledge about and deepening my love relationship with the Lord?  Like I've said before, it's not about time spent, but how I use the time I have.  The condition of my heart will eventually be displayed through the ways in which I choose to spend my time.
So, even if it means I have to go to bed earlier (boo! cause I'm a night person) or drink two cups of coffee instead of one (which I wouldn't mind at all actually), I'm giving up on sleep.

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