The Caffeine Factor

To say the least it was a tough night. My 6 year old was in the beginning stage of chicken pox and was having a hard time of it. Up most of the night, even a bath at 2am failed to soothe. He then clambered into my bed and commandeered my pillow and at least half of the bed causing me to retreat to the couch in the hope of having a least an hour or so uninterrupted sleep. Needless to say, when the alarm went off this morning I was somewhat bleary eyed. A coffee enroute to the office was my fuel. Topped up by one mid-morning, and in desperation one mid-afternoon.

It’s a remedy many of us take – the energy packed caffeine hit, deliciously ensconced in the liquid that is coffee. Energy drinks can also provide a bit of a hit (so I’ve heard….?). At least there are options – temporary ones, I know, but enough to get one through the day, or at the very least provide hope that one will make it through the day. The fallout from sleep deprivation, is to me at least, pretty obvious. Black shadows under the eyes, yawning, and definitely slower reflexes. The strong signals from the body demand attention –and fuel to get through the day.

In the same way, we need to pay attention to our spirit’s need for fuel – that is time with God. When it starts to take us a while to “get into” worship, or worship at church leaves us unmoved, when our daily quiet times lack vitality and are hurried through, it means our spirit is running low. This is the time to take action. To press in harder, to stir up our soul and not to retreat. And in the same way as I like a double shot of caffeine, I’ve found these times, increasing the intensity of my pursuit of God invigorating. It’s putting on loud all my favourite worship songs that I know stir my spirit, or reading the Psalms till I find the one that communicates what I’m feeling. It’s reading my journal of past testimonies or promises still to come. It’s finding a new devotion plan, or listening to an inspiring podcast. It’s doing something that fuels my spirit and propels me closer to God as much as a caffeine hit wakes me up.

Lasts longer than the caffeine too….