Two O'clock Saturday Morning

Two o’clock Saturday morning, for some unknown reason, i woke up and could not get back to sleep. For an hour i just laid in the darkness, lost in thought. Nothing profound-just going over my to-do list in my head, rehashing events from the day before and trying to remember the title of the crazy song that keeps playing its annoying self in my mind. Though my mind was busy nothing was getting accomplished. As the minutes ticked away my frustration began to mount. Then it occured to me that i should pray.

Three o’clock Saturday morning, i began to pray. It was as if God was asking me, “Child, what took you so long?”. He knew the answer but i had to hear it for myself, “I was so distracted that i forgot.” Isn’t that true in all our lives and not just at two o’clock in the morning when we can’t sleep? Things happen, problems arise and crises occur but instead of taking it to God we turn to distractions. To numb the discomfort or pain we go to the kitchen for a bag of chips or ice cream. To keep ourselves from looking at our circumstances we busy ourselves with endless activity. To avoid being “exposed” to others we withdraw to the television or the internet. Satan uses many distractions to isolate us and prevent us from experiencing freedom and healing. The longer he can keep us distracted the harder it becomes for us to hear God calling out, “Come to me and I will give you rest.” Please beware of the distractions in your life that isolate and take your focus off the One who gives you peace.

Four o’clock Saturday morning, i thanked God for opening my sleepy eyes to the distractions in my life and asked Him to help me to be more aware of them in the future. I know He is smiling at this time. Then the eyes that know no sleep watched me as i drifted off to sleep.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and i will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

If

Staring ahead, seeing nothing. Surrounded by sounds but i don’t hear anything. The sun is shining but i don’t recieve it’s warmth. Thoughts flood my mind but i refuse to think. If i see…if i hear…if i recieve…if i think…then i feel. If i feel i will hurt and if i hurt…i become vulnerable. If i trust You with the hurt will You earn my faith…or will You turn me away? Is Your love truly greater than my sin? My hurt? My shame? Will Your love be enough to take away my fear?

”Look around and see the love I show you. Listen closely and you will hear My voice calling to you. (Rev. 3:20) Accept My grace and let the hardness of your heart melt away. (Ez. 11:19) Bring your thoughts to me and I will give you a new way of thinking. (Col. 3:2) If you see…if you hear…if you recieve…if you think…then you will feel. If you let Me, I will heal your hurt. (Luke 4:18) Be vulnerable with Me. I’ll never let you down or turn you away. My love is so great nothing can seperate my love from you. No sin…No hurt…No shame. (Romans 8:38&39) My love is perfect and perfect love drives out fear. (1 Jn. 4:18) If you accept My love as truth the truth will set you free! “(Jn. 8:32)

To the Dreamer

What is the thing you desire that consumes your every waking thought and makes sleep difficult? What is it that fills your heart with passion? What stirs your emotions so deeply that you think you might explode? Is it a dream you have only just begun to allow yourself to dream? Maybe you’ve always had the potential but did not recognize it. Maybe you were told not to dream so you hid it away but that dream was just beneath the surface calling out to be set free. You supressed it for so long for so long that in time you forgot that dream and wondered what was that nagging in your soul. On the outside you would smile and hope no one would notice the tears. Then you got tired of the mask and wondered what life would be without it. The desire for change became greater than the fear of the unknown so you stepped into the light and began to remove the mask. At times you remembered your scars and wanted to cover up again. But it was your dream that made you put the mask back down. Without the mask you could see more clearly the truth you could not see before. The light was Christ and God was the One who gave you your dream. Free to dream you set out to be the dreamer God created you to be. So why now you worry and fret? What God has given as a gift you have allowed to become a burden. Your best intentions have become your worst nightmare because God did not expect you to be perfect, you put that unrealistic expectation on yourself. Just let God direct your steps, beautiful dreamer, and He will make the dreams He gave you come true