Beyond the Darkness Devotional | Encouragement in GriefSýnishorn

Go To Bed, Sleepyhead

Recently, our family adopted a hamster to join our home’s menagerie. Kurt, named for one of the von Trapp children in The Sound of Music, came to us at just thirty days old. He could fit into a half-cup measuring scoop.

The animal rescue instructed us to hold Kurt three times daily as a way to get to know each other. Unfortunately, he’d scamper away under a cardboard hiding spot when the cage door opened and burrow under his wheel when a hand reached down to pick him up. Kurt didn’t want to be held at all!

Over time, Kurt settled into the thrice-daily practice of being held. Though he’d initially resist, once he was safely enclosed in someone’s hands, he curled up into a little ball, closed his eyes, and fell asleep. Every single time, the warmth of the holder’s hands calmed him, perhaps triggering memories of his mother’s safety. Consistent, gentle care could prompt rest.

It almost goes without saying that grief affects our rest after we lose a loved one. Whether we experience unexpected sluggishness or wide-eyed sleepless nights, loss throws off our circadian rhythms and makes rest often hard to find. Moreover, the stressors of life after loss can compound our bodies’ struggles for sleep. We’re deeply tired. But like little Kurt, we keep running on our wheels and running away from the things that can offer us true relief.

While we can’t force our bodies to sleep, we can learn the habits of peaceful rest. A cooler room, no screens before bedtime, and meditative practices like prayer or mindful breathing can all prompt restfulness even when sleep feels hard to attain. Rest can become a goal all its own in grief.

However, the psalmist knows that true rest comes from someplace even deeper than healthy bedtime routines. Only God can make us dwell in safety—safety from our own whirling minds, safety from fears about tomorrow, safety from physical threats and loneliness. True rest comes from trust in God.

Today, as you find space for slowing down, receive that space and peace as a gift from God. Whether sleeping is easy or hard, God is with you in it, offering comfort and sustaining grace. You can both rest and sleep when the everlasting arms enfold you. Renewing sleep may take time to return after the death of your person, but it doesn’t need to be elusive forever. As you rest in God, you can be assured he will give you exactly what you need.