Sleep Deprivation
[Adventures in Faith: Japan; 1991] Sleep was a major challenge in Kamagasaki. Four factors made it worse.
Factor 1. Vigilance
One factor that eroded my sleep was the violence. In Kamagasaki, we were constantly surrounded by violence.
I had already seen such violence firsthand. The Murder In Triangle Park took place less than five feet from me.
And I had experienced violence firsthand. Together with Tom, we stopped the murder of an old man.
Plus I was punched for doing the right thing.
At night we slept in a hidden location, hoping nobody would murder us in our sleep. We slept in a little park about six blocks outside the Kamagasaki area.
Plus we had an unexpected ally. It was the Japanese Mafia.
To our utter astonishment, they looked out for us. They protected us. Twice:
1. After the murder In Triangle Park, a Mafia man told Tom and I that the murderer was a Shinogi, a gang member. And he told us we’d better leave Kamagasaki. By this, he probably saved our lives.
2. After an alcoholic punched me for doing the right thing, the Mafia seized the man, threw him in the trunk of a car, and sped off. What happened to my attacker? We never saw him again. Ever.
We considered the Mafia’s protection of us a miracle.
Yet we knew with certainty that at any moment, anyone could sneak up at any moment and murder us, for no reason at all.
That kept us on edge. We were constantly in a state of high vigilance.
Factor 2. Illness
Another factor that eroded my sleep was illness. I had digestive problems. They had become debilitating. I was often in severe pain.
When you’re homeless, there’s no convenient place to suddenly be violently ill.
Factor 3. Generosity
A third factor that eroded our sleep was the generosity of our homeless friends.
At any moment, one of them might spend his final money on earth to buy a gift for us.
Their gifts reminded me of the poor widow who donated two small coins to the temple. From her poverty, she contributed all she had. It was her whole livelihood. (See Mark 12:41-44.)
Similarly, these homeless men may have spent their final money on earth to buy a gift for us.
Often, the gift would be given at night. Often the gift was Can Coffee from a vending machine.
At say 10 PM, a homeless man might offer us a warm can of sweet, milky coffee. To refuse would dishonor the profound sacrifice the homeless man had made.
Plus the Lord Jesus Christ provided specific instructions about this situation:
Luke 10:8. Into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat the things that are set before you.
So we accepted what was set before us.
Subsequently, the caffeine plus my milk allergy kept me awake just about all night.
Factor 4. Living on the Edge
We were living in a very stressful situation. I was highly vigilant. I was worn out by months of illness. And highly caffeinated at night, thanks the constant stream of homeless men who bought us coffee.
I was constantly worn out, yet also highly vigilant and flooded with adrenaline and caffeine. And I had no good outlet for those stresses.
The Result
This lack of sleep was severe and continual. Over the weeks and months, it accumulated.
It clouded my thinking. It made my digestive problems a lot worse. I was often in a great deal of pain.
It was a downward spiral.
Our volatile situation meant that we would probably never get decent sleep.
RESOURCES
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ADVENTURES IN FAITH
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