Today I was walking around the house feeling sorry for myself.  You see, I had prayed last night as I was putting the baby down.... Lord, please let her sleep for a long stretch.  I am not even asking for her to sleep through the night.  Just a nice stretch.  You know I need sleep-- You created me to need sleep. (Does anyone else remind God of things??  As if!)  Anyway, I just told God that I needed sleep and begged Him to let her sleep. 

Now, I realize God has much bigger fish to fry.  He has the war in Iraq.  The police officer in our town who was shot in the head in a standoff.  The persecuted Christians all around the world.  So, I am freely admitting that this request was selfish when held up to the light of what God is hearing in the prayers of others.  But bear with me...

Needless to say, she was up basically from 1:30 am to 4:30 am straight-- with little 20 minute catnaps in there just to fool me into thinking she was going to sleep.  So, I got up grumpy this morning.  I walked around the house complaining.  My prayer basically sounded like this: Lord, I guess you expect me to go on with my day even though I did NOT get any sleep last night.  I guess I still have to get the dishes unloaded from the dishwasher and do that mountain of laundry and make that bed.  I guess I still need to get everyone's breakfast and send my husband off to work with a smile.  I guess You just don't think I need sleep these days! 

That is what I told God.

And here is what He told me in response. 

Foolish, foolish child.  You have a washing machine and a dishwasher to wash clothes in.  Your children have so many clothes that it causes a mountain of laundry.  You have a home and a husband and children I have blessed you with.  You have a warm, comfortable bed to sleep in (or at least lay down in) at night.  You need to change your perspective.

Ahhhh. 

What a difference that made to me as I have gone about my morning.  I realized that I am asking for what *I* think I need instead of depending on Him to supply my needs.  I am reading off my grocery list of prayers according to *my* ideas about my needs.  Instead I should be saying, Lord, Your will, not mine.  I read recently that prayer is not about changing God's mind, but about changing ours.  That is what I learned today.  I needed to change my mind about the way things are. 

And the amazing thing is, I don't even feel tired this morning... God took care of it!   (OK, maybe it was God working through the coffee...)