Wake Up! We Need To Talk

Sometimes, early mornings are even too early for me. Take the other day for instance. I was sleeping well until something woke me and I found myself wide awake for no apparent reason. Or so I thought. Didn’t hear a thing. No movement, no strange sounds, just a quiet calm, serene early morning. Within minutes I heard within my mind, God prompting me to rethink the sermon I was putting together. Being there with little else to do at 3:50 am, I turned on the light, took pen in hand and wrote down the thoughts that were racing through my mind. I wrote one line, put down the pen and turned the light off. Lying there for a minute or so, I was again prompted to write something else down. Light on, pick up the pen, write, put down the pen and turn out the light. Over and over this happened and I was starting to wonder if I would ever get back to sleep.

Within a half hour I had filled both sides of eight pieces of post-it-notes. After I turned the light out for what became the last time, I laid back and thought about all the things I had just written. Then it hit me. I realized, it was all about being in His presence. This was not just an exersize in writing, but about what I believe and living it. How wonderful it felt to spend some time with God on a very early morning. Within moments I felt myself settle and sleep returned. You know the kind of sleep that I’m talking about. Deep sleep, don’t move again type sleep. It was wonderful . . . for a while.

I woke with a start. Something definitely woke me this time. The clock reinforced the reality that just over one half hour had transpired since falling back asleep. Hearing the reason for being woken, I jumped out of bed and looked out the window to see, a delivery truck parked right in front of our home. The driver was obviously listening to his music. Loudly I might add. He had turned off the truck and took out a parcel to deliver and walked to the door and took it inside. But he had left the music on. Did I mention loudly.

Angrily I thought to myself, “This is nuts!” My next thought was to get dressed and rush downstairs and give him a piece of my mind. As the first leg was being thrust into the pant leg, it hit me. I began to recognize the words. It stopped me in my tracks. Here is what I heard;

Here I am to worship,
Here I am to bow down,
Here I am to say that You're my God
You're altogether lovely
All together worthy,
All together wonderful to me.

For a moment I thought I saw God mischievously smiling at me. He had not finished our time together. I changed my mind about giving the driver a piece of my mind. Already given away far too many pieces anyway. I now intended on go down and thank him for being an instrument of God in speaking to me on a very early amazingly, fantastic, beautiful, God filled morning where I took time to worship Him and thank Him for our spectacular morning together.

Next time you wake early, maybe God has come to visit you.

Something to think about. Rob

Three Little Words

I heard a mother say it yesterday. She was involved with her daughter at the time and it was wonderful to see then interacting. She stood there in her matching summer dress and sandals. A wee-bit of a thing, smiling so broadly, Braided ponytail, and all.

At times like these we all dip into our memories and relive our experience when we had little girls or boys about the same age. We remember asking them this same thing. “What’s the magic word?” And we wait for the right answer. It was and is our time to instill in children what every generation has categorically called good manners. Some children take more time to remember to say “please” on their own. Other get it all figured out that you can go further and faster if you say that word before you are asked.

I can’t remember if it was me or my brother who figured that out first. At any rate, not far behind learning the word please, then along comes the next line. Do you remember, “thank you”? Ah yes, the two words added to the other became, ‘the three little words’. Thinking back, they accomplished much. Not as much as my granddaughter did when she was little. You could hold out your hand full of change and ask what coins she would like. She always picked the pennies. Smart little girl because she figured out that if she took the pennies, she would end up with a lot more money than the dimes because dad would do it over and over just to show what his daughter would do.

It was Sunday when I noticed this smiling little one. Maybe it was because of what had happened at church in the morning that prompted me to ask, “do I say please and thank you to God”? When we are talking to Him, is it part of our conversation to thank Him for all the things in our lives? Or do I just go to Him with my wish lists? Are we a people who never forget our manners? Is it possible that we recognize God for who He is, the King Eternal, and come wanting and going to the only source of power in our lives?

But that is not the totality of being God’s children. Our lives are filled with not only good and great things but also trials and situations. It’s not always easy but it’s not always over the top wonderful either. We live in reality, and not reality tv. And it is in this real, everyday life we realize that God alone comes along side and walks with us. Maybe today, you can turn to Him and say, “Please, Thank You”. After all, in my bible it says, “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Something to think about.

Rob

I Really Love You

I’m guilty. Yes I am. Not happy about it. And I think I’m not alone. Oh, there are times that I’m better at it than others. Reflectively I also know I’m not good at all some of the time. You might think I’m talking about being loveable, but I’m not. I could. I could say there are times I’m not the easiest person to get along with. Also knowing there are moments when I’m the most lovable person you have ever met. Or so we think. HA, did you notice I changed it to reflect about each and every one of us, and not just me?

But that is not where I am going today. After worship on Sunday I had time to think more about what God had been saying to each of us. The verses, if you would like to look them up are; Luke 10:25-28. In those verses we read about how we need to feel about God. I originally asked myself about this when God prompted me to select this passage. I asked myself how I measured up. And it wasn’t a pretty picture. The question is not am I lovable, but, how loving am I? Loving in the deepest sense of the word. That down deep in my heart and soul and mind. Do I love with a super human strength? Or am I just getting by? And more than my love for God, do I love one person and not another?

The truth is, I’m guilty. Not only in loving my neighbour, who is anyone I come in contact with, but, and this is the larger BUT! Do I love God as much as I know I should? Go ahead, say it with me, ‘There are things I need to work on’. Oh we do the best we can. Or is it we do the best we know? There are times I need to shut off the computer, put down the paper, close the book, turn off the tv. There are times I need to sit in the middle of the road watching in amazement as I observe the indescribably beauty of the sunrise He put in front of me. When I need to remind myself He painted those colours for Himself and decided to share it with me. You’re right, it’s a life change. It’s giving God supreme priority in my life.

When we all reach out, higher, deeper, fuller and further to feel and experience God’s love coming at us, when we reach out to Him, we will reap the benefits of having true and abiding love spill over into our everyday lives. Then and only then will we begin to love others more and love them with an unquestionable love. Something like God does to us?

Something to think about.

Rob

I'm Not Sleeping! Really

There are those days. Many years ago I had to go and talk to a professor at my school about my future. I was seeking his advice. Always good to go and talk to someone who knows more then you. Someone who has been down the road a few more times then you. He was a gracious man, living his calling and enjoying every minute of working with us young people. Yes, I was young once. He was also a very busy man. Much in demand in and out of class. It was easy to put your trust in him and just that sort of person you want to be when you ‘arrive’.

In retrospect, I realize now, maybe I talked too much that day. Still have that habit once and a while. Thankfully, not as much anymore. Can't learn much when your lips are moving, so I have been told. As I talked and talked and talked something began to happen. Before my eyes, which were wide open I noticed his eyes slowly closing. Get the picture? As much as he tried, nothing was working. For a few more minutes I continued to carry on the conversation. That is, until I realized he was no longer hearing what I was saying. The man was exhausted and needed a break. So, I very quickly made an excuse to get going and left his office without embarrassing him.

There are those days. Can you believe it? Now, I have those days as well. Some weeks, too often. I guess in that way, I’m like him. Yesterday after a long morning at church, and more things to do then time can handle, I gave up on trying to stay awake. They don’t call it an easy-chair for nothing.

At one time in my life I thought that sleeping was a waste of time. I believed we should be awake as much as possible so we can cram into every minute as much living as we possibly can. I would be up early, stay up later than normal and just do more and more. There is so much to see and experience and do that there may never be enough time to get it all in. I wanted to be engaged with everything and everybody all the time and keep going and going and going. I wanted to be in ministry 24/7 and always available to be there for everyone and anyone. It took me too long to realized I can't. I'm not built for that.

I guess I still do that to some degree today. I’m up early, in the office just after daybreak, and work until bed. But something has changed for me. After my surgery a number of years ago, my body and mind do the same thing that professors did, it shuts down in the middle of . . . And believe me, that is a good thing.

Someone once said to me that he believed I get up before God. Wrong. Lucky for all of us, God 'never slumbers nor sleeps'. He is always awake and always aware of us. He will 'never leave us nor forsake us'. His eyes never droop closed. And even when there is one of those days for us, we have a God who watches over us when we can’t watch over ourselves. The hymn says, "His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me". Aren’t you glad?

Something to think about.

Rob