My eyes anticipate the night watches,
That I may meditate on your word.
Hear my voice according to your lovingkindness;
Revive me, O lord, according to Your ordinances.
Psalm 119: 148, 149 (NASB)
***
Twilight comes with a tease
Tawny cream and fiery red dance
Thoughts chase and beauty slips
Seek
The light fades
And the curtains fall
Set me in the sliver
Rest
Head leans back
Feet dangle free
Arms hug hurt
Pray
A heart mends
Stars twinkle and set
And I wait for His Word
Comfort
Breath of Heaven
Songs of Deliverance
A melody of strings
Revive
My soul lifts…steadies…sings
As I peer upon the desolate valley
Lush hills and mountaintop views
Sustain
Walk with me, Oh Lord
I face the dawn
And I return the way I came
In His confidence
***
I rise before the dawn and cry for help,
I wait for your words.
Psalm 119: 147 (NASB)
It was a warm evening and I’d run later than my norm. I ‘d been up early to care for my grandson; and so, I’d missed my workout. I pondered the day and the child’s kissable cheeks. His little fingers caressed my face, and corn-filled grins and messy feedings crossed with a jealous Shadow who barked nonsense. We sang silly and read story books, and I rolled on the floor for fun. I’ve learned to slow my pace. The pause matters.
My heart is full as I watch God’s masterpiece slip behind the hills. His beauty in the rising and setting of the sun never ceases to amaze me; each painting is so different from the next. It’s been a good day. And the gift at the end was worth the strenuous workout!
When I round a corner, I see that the moon is but a sliver in the sky. My thoughts drift to nursery rhymes; the cat and a fiddle and a cow that jumped over the moon. So, I consider God’s outlook, and the dip and rest of His light. It observes the desolate valleys, hills, and mountaintops. What would it be like to see our problems from heaven’s view?
Would we better understand the bumpy back roads, the detours, roundabouts, and dead ends? And the times we were lost and we had to stop and ask for directions? We consider the rivers we swam through and the pits we fell in . . . thank goodness for friends who pulled us out. And a Heavenly Father who patiently waited for our return.
The daily grind…run the trail…sweep the floor…dust a knickknack…bake some cookies…chat with a friend…iron the wrinkles…rock a babe…sing a tune…seek truth…search for words…and it starts again…a new day. And we wonder as we wander and strive for perfection, if it wasn’t all part of God’s plan.
Empty arms and heavy loads…broken dreams and hard-earned diplomas…ladders and water slides…cutting edges and smooth stones tossed…open windows and then doors slammed shut…the lonely highway and the freeway…the muddy trenches and the ripple. Was it to draw broken and receptive hearts to Christ?
The bend of a soul as it peers from the sliver of light–
I’m learning to trust in the dark,
Lily Mae
Martha, my dear sister, gift to me from God, once again I have been encouraged by your words and writings…that flow from your heart. Today at 520 am , after an extremely hard battle seeking good health care for Deane, a diabetic foot, …………..I am weary , worn, yet rejoicing in Truth. It’s too long to get into, suffice to say I opened my iPad to write down some thoughts in my journal and decided to check my email, God had this email open….The Night Watch. ….I feel as if I have been on the Night Watch , the Day Watch,….on High Alert to be sure I listen to the pertinent info and instruction to care for my husband, and regurgitate it back to the many different doctors and nurses and er people. God helps me because I ask Him to. He helps me when I haven’t asked Him to. I just read this writing, I have read it before, but this time I felt like I had written it because it spoke so deeply to me about what I have been going through,
I miss you . The other night in the midst of the exhausted sleep I had fallen into. I had a short dream that I remembered when I woke up….. I dreamed that I was visiting you and Chelsea was letting me snuggle “Beau Beautiful” , he had been crying and she was exhausted from trying to help him settle, maybe even fearful….I asked her to let me try. I was doing the things moms do when not sure of what’s wrong….pat the back, rub the back, rock, stand, sway, speaking softly his name…”It’s ok Beau Beautiful”, and praying in my spirit and every now and then outloud….when suddenly He threw up all over my shoulder and then fell asleep. (Not in the mess of course) …Chelsea was so apologetic, and of course I was just so glad Beau was no longer in pain and sleeping on my clean shoulder and I could hand him back to his mom. That’s all I remember of the dream and wondered why I had remembered it at all…but sometimes we just need to get the pain out of us and what is causing pain, to regurgitate the junk and get the rest we need. Your Night Watch is a comfort that I needed, and my Father, your Father , had it ready and guided me to check my email and prompted me to let you know my heart today. Love J