Last evening, having completed the office work I had undertaken, I headed to chapel to catch up on my spiritual reading and pray Compline (Night Prayer).

As I finished the Liturgy of the Hours, the words of the concluding prayer struck me by their appropriateness:

Lord God,

send peaceful sleep

to refresh our tired bodies.

May your help always renew us

and keep us strong in your service.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

I needed God’s help to renew me…I was tired, not only toward the end of the day, but also toward the end (hopefully) of a long winter.

The extended periods of darkness and cold, along with the ‘routineness’ of life and other challenges can wear on a person.

This prayer reminds us that we all need God to renew our tired bodies and souls.

Whether it be in a good night sleep or the sight of melting snow washing down the street drains, we can be grateful for the strength and encouragement He sends us.

Spring will come; the sun will shine 🙂

Plus, I realized yesterday, that we’ve reached the half-way mark of Lent! Yipee!