Daily Download

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A few years back, I started a daily evening ritual to help me handle the stresses of life. At 10:30, I turned off everything and spent the next half hour in meditation and prayer. I went over the issues of the day and downloaded them from my mind, since I was tired, into the mind of my Maker. He was going to be up all night anyway. Piece by piece, I explained what was on my mind and why, and then I left them with Him, trusting that whatever portions thereof were mine to handle would resurface on my mind when the time to handle them came. Somehow this helped me sleep better and made me less emotional about the issues in my life.

For many months now, the circumstances of my daily schedule had me busy at that time of day, and so I wasn’t doing it. Monday, a huge issue arose, and because of a change in circumstances, I was able to resume the Daily Download this week. It has helped immensely to keep my focus and spare my energy as I remain burdened by this particular trial.

The Daily Download came as an idea from a conversation with an ecclesiastical leader. One night, I asked him how he dealt with all the burdens ladled on him by other people, and he told me that he took them to God every night and handed them over, trusting that God would give him back the portions that were his to handle. So, I resolved to make it a habit of my own, and for years it has meant better sleep, better responses, and a nice evening ritual to settle down at the end of the day.

Many people go to bed agitated for some reason or another. We watch a favorite show or take in some news or we rush home to get into bed or we’re rushing members of our households into bed before we crash ourselves. Sleep is more than prone repose with our eyes closed; it is supposed to be a rest period to recharge the body, and if we keep the mind burdened while we sleep, we will find that we rarely awake rested. I have found that, since I endeavor to exercise daily, the rest matters even more because I need to recharge my body after the workout as well as have energy sufficient to get out of bed at 530AM, something that is not likely if I stay up late or if I go to bed agitated.

I enjoy the Daily Download because it gives me a cleaner slate and helps me declutter the Hard Drive of my mind. I clear out things that I may not need and then only take back up in the morning the things that are urgent, important, or both. I enjoy the chance to meditate and converse with God at the end of the day and think about how well I did that day as I give what amounts to a daily accounting of my activities and stewardship. Sure, I welcome having the distractions of children and a spouse, but since I have neither concrete family nor strong prospects at the moment, it becomes a time for reflection and introspection, something I think most of us could certainly make useful work.