Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God ...
Cast your anxiety on him, because he cares for you (I Peter 5:6-7)
We have all used the phrase "at the end of the day". I think this means that after all the noise and distractions of our day, the final moments as we reflect on all that has happened can be rich soil for learning from and leaning into the love of our Lord.
Whenever I have had trouble sleeping at night it is generally because of anxiety; either personal anxiety or professional anxiety (and, I must say, occasionally sports anxiety brought on by my beloved Redskins, bless their hearts!). What I try to remember in these moments is to cast my anxiety on the Lord.
It is not always easy. Sometimes my mind will be so full of negative thoughts and disappointments and frustrations that I wonder if I will ever fall asleep. And it is not fun to lay there "at the end of the day" eyes wide open, heart racing, and just wanting to fall asleep.
Still, except for a few "dark nights of the soul", I have eventually fallen asleep after praying for the Lord's presence, and I wake up the next day in a different state of mind. It is the gift that "at the end of the day" we are met by our Lord who leads us into a "new day" full of hope, possibility, and promise.
May we remember that our anxieties are never too big or too overwhelming for the comfort that God will bring. The peace that surpasses all circumstances is real. I have felt it. You have felt it too I suspect.
As we experience humility in our sin and brokenness, we are built up by the Lord's grace and mercy and power. We are not "at the end of the day" defined by our failures and missteps. Instead, "at the end of the day" we are met that the Lord who cares for us, values us, and will strengthen us.
Lord at the end of our days, meet us in our pain, comfort us in our shame, and draw us close to you. Amen.
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