"The Light"

     It was two in the morning and I was still wide awake.  I walked into my bedroom and my husband had quietly fallen into a deep slumber. The light from the bathroom was still on. There was the soft hum of his sleep apnea machine, but other than that the entire house was silent and dark.  I turned off the bathroom light and climbed into bed, but I still was unable to sleep.  My doctor had recently given me a new medication for restless leg syndrome. It was giving me a slight stomachache. I also have tinnitus (ear ringing) and tonight the ringing had simply become intolerable.  

     Laying there in the dark was making me feel dizzy and nauseous, so I got out of bed and went into the other room.  I turned on the floor lamp in my family room.  As I sat there squinting in the other wise darken room I began to realize that I was in the mist of the busiest moments of God's day in our home.  You ask, huh? 

    As I sat quietly in the soft glow of the light, I thought about how God had kept me awake for a purpose.  Tears began to slowly flow down my cheeks and my heavenly Father began to tell me of all the plans that he had for our family. He gave me the opportunity to be on the ground floor as he whispered the plans that he has to prosper me and not to do me harm.  He reminded me of the blessings that he had already bestowed upon me.  After sitting there for a few minutes the stomachache that I had earlier began to dissipate, and the ringing in my ears became tolerable and suddenly I felt sleepy and joyful.  Full of the joy that only God can bring.

     The next morning was Sunday.  I went to church and a funny thing happened, my pastor was speaking about catching the light before it leaves.  The title of his message that morning was, "In the Church, but not in Christ."  His scriptural reference was from John 17.  Later that evening I went back to that scripture, in John 17:13, Christ says to the Father, "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have full measure of my joy within them."

     It reminded me of the previous night.  Being in the world, but not of the world.  All the busyness of the day had ended and my heavenly Father and my pastor were clearly stating one message,   those of us who are walking with Christ are the light of the world.  So, the next time that you wake up in the middle of  the night don't become dismayed.  Your heavenly Father is calling you to sit at his feet and replenish your light, so that you may walk in the fullness of His joy.  So, go on, and let your light shine.