Down Deep

It was 5:56AM when I heard my firstborn son call out this morning. "DAD! DAAAAD!" It is important to say that his 3 year old sister was sleeping soundly in the bunk directly beneath him. My husband sighed and said, "is he calling me?" (Uh, duh?!) I didn't answer and he eventually got the deal and headed up the stairs.

5:56AM is early, I'm not sure if you know this. And it is even earlier for a pre-menstrual mother of three children under the age of 5. It is even earlier when your 8 month old baby wakes up at 6:15AM wanting a bottle, your 3 year old rouses groggily at 6:25AM and your loving husband is out the door by 6:30AM to head off to his newly minted workout regime that you don't love so much. Oh, did I mention I was still sleeping off the Unisom I took last night so I could sleep through hormone induced insomnia. This day did not start well.

As I was lying in bed trying to muster the strength to open my eye lids and grasping at who I could be mad at, God spoke gently to me. We have been memorizing 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 as a family and this morning God calmed my heart with His Word. "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

This sums up our life most days

I have to admit, when God calls me to His word I am often annoyed. I want to dig in my heels and be selfish, sluggish and angry. I want to act like my 4 year old and thrash against the logic that is presented to me through God's loving words. I want to, in short, be human. But God, through His Word and through the sanctifying work of Christ calls me to become come out of mere humanity and enter the life giving fray of His will.

Through the years I have learned to accept the call to memorization and meditation. To allow the words of God to sink in deep into my heart and begin their work. I have realized that rote memorization and the carrying of note cards tucked in my Big Bible are not helpful to me, but application of Scripture to my circumstances is changing my heart. Working out the words of God in my day to day existence has proved to me how real and delightful and life-giving they truly are.

So as I laid in bed this morning I prayed "God make me joyful. God help me to turn to you in prayer. Thank you God that my children are healthy and happy and secure. Thank you that you have a will for me and it involves joy, prayer and thankfulness. Oh, and God...do this day for me. Please help me get out of this bed!"

His Word is truth and it never comes back void. Case in point. I am awake. I am writing. I am living in the very words of God through Christ Jesus, the living and active Word of God.

Now if you'll excuse me. The baby is awake, and I'm sure he needs to be fed.