too late (or early?) for blogging.

It is 4:42am, and I am awake. And not just in the physical sense of the word. My heart is awake to God and the way He is moving in my life, and my mind is awake and filled with lessons I am learning from every angle. I'm not always awake in this sense, but tonight, I am. I remember once I was driving in Oklahoma, and felt so superbly awake to God that I had the urge to roll down my window and scream, "WAKE UP!!!" to everyone within earshot. I decided against it, but every once in awhile that urge will resurface. I guess I just like the imagery; waking and sleeping.

Are you awake to His truth today? Are you letting it saturate you? If you don't believe the Bible is true, are you awake to why? Do you sleep through contradictions in your worldview, or are you aware of them?

I returned from Asia about two weeks ago, and will be posting stories and thoughts from my summer. One thing I realized there is that I had been suppressing some doubts. Yes, I had been dealing with doubts (even in Seminary! shocking...) and had basically been ignoring them, hoping they would go away. I tried to put them to sleep. But this summer, as I met people and told them what the Bible says, those doubts and fears were awakened. And praise God for that. I was able to look them in the face and ask some tough questions. Rather than squelch my faith, my heart was strengthened. Now I wonder why I was so afraid to ask the tough questions. I do not want a faith based on cheap answers, and I do not want to believe something that isn't true! If the God of the Bible is God (which actually, He is), then He is plenty big enough to stand up to the questions of a twenty three year old know nothing.

So today, tonight, I encourage you to wake up if you've been sleeping. Is there a truth you've hesitated to believe? A question you've been afraid to ask? A gnawing conviction that you've been suppressing? Or maybe God has been wanting to spend more time with you, but you've been busy. In our culture, it is easy to sleep. We've got media and comfort and plenty with which to fill our heads. But as my brother in law reminds me, what is easier is not always what is better. Wake up, dear ones. The dawn is breaking.

"For you are all children[a] of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober." 1 Thessalonians 5:5-7

"As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness." Psalm 17:15