THE TABLE AND THE DUSTBIN

 I've only recently realised that I'm a chronic over-thinker and need lots of time to process, whether it be the emotional challenges I've faced, issues with my loved ones, world events, spiritual realities, podcasts I've heard, stuff I've watched on the telly...If I don't try and sort it all out I'm like a computer with lots of programmes running at the same time, my thinking slows down and sometimes my heart gets frozen.

This probably accounts for the insomnia I've also suffered from for decades because I've gone to bed with way too much on my mind (sleeping much better at the moment!)

A few weeks ago I put the light out to go to sleep and as usual found myself reviewing various different things - emotions to do with relationships, inner conflicts, anxieties over the children (it never goes!), what or how I should have said or done something earlier in the day, who dunnit in the crime mystery I'd just watched etc etc - an endless tickertape.

As I came before the Lord with all these things to try and pray, he led me in my spiritual imagination to a table.  Just an ordinary table, not an altar.  And said 'lay down all your stuff on this table my dear'.  

I found it really helped to picture putting each of the issues on to the table and backing off from it, trusting that Father would deal with it all.

Next thing, I saw a dustbin...

...and this time He said, this is for all the trash that isn't worth keeping, like 'Who dunnit?' for instance!  So I mentally chucked all the unnecessary trains of thought into the bin.

So now most times at night I come to the Table and the Dustbin in my prayers and either unload or throw out all that burdens me before the One who's heart is unimaginably big and strong and wide, and a hundred times bigger and stronger and wider than that.  I've found that using my God given imagination really helps.

Sleeping better now - maybe if you're an over-thinker like me you could try it!