Dear Reader:
I have come to realize as we grow older, our sleep habits change. For a few months now… I find my inner alarm clock going off around 5 – 5:30 am. I am wide awake and immediately my thoughts circle around my adult children, spouses, and grandchildren…followed by friends.
(*** Interestingly enough, I am not hung up on problems or worrisome pending situations or circumstances … those are the occasional 2:30 am ” What if” wake up monsters.)
The 5:30 am sleep awakenings are overall calm and peaceful reflections, creating opportunities to visit or do something to help a family member, friend, or neighbor.
So by the time the sun’s first rays lighten the room… I am at peace again… and sleepy. I take time to thank God for another day of life and then I usually fall back asleep and re-awake around 8:00… feeling refreshed and ready to take on the day.
The other morning I was watching a documentary on a man who was wrongly accused of a murder he didn’t commit and given a life sentence… the case was re-opened by a young lawyer writing a dissertation on wrongly accused prisoners and as fate would have it… turned up new evidence and freed the wrongly accused prisoner after serving twenty-something years behind bars.
I found one question quite poignant that the freed man was asked by the program interviewer… ” Did anyone stand by you… the whole time you were in prison.
” Only One… God.”
Only eighteen at the time of the murder… the young man had been deserted by his mother at a young age, was in and out of several foster care situations that didn’t turn out well… got into a gang and on the night of the murder he was betrayed by the gang and left holding all the evidence.
He never had one human visitor until God came to him in a dream and promised to never desert him. He started learning to read so he could read about God… became a model prisoner and counseled other inmates.
Now that he was free the man told the reporter he would spend the rest of his life visiting inmates who never had a visitor ( the “unpeople” of our society ) and telling them about God by sharing his story.
It got me thinking about how limited humans are in helping… don’t we all start out with the best intentions when we hear about someone we know is in a bad situation… but if the situation lingers too long with no ending in sight, other newer situations pop up and help is redirected. Human nature… but never God’s nature.
Since that night God told me to hold His Hand… He has never left my side!
So until tomorrow…
Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh
Just before I finished the post yesterday… while writing it in my recliner… I glanced at my sofa and then smiled… my two pillows on each end of the sofa have Home sewed on them and in the middle… the pillow of Hope. A ” double dose of HOME” secured by HOPE! I love ❤️ my home.
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle
I could certainly relate to your sleeping patterns. Mine are exactly the same! Also, relatable is your comment about wanted to help others. You’re so right about having good intentions, but along the way our own life “stuff” distracts us from what we want to do for others in our lives whom we care about & want to be there for. Thankfully, for them & us; God is always there & waiting to pick up the slack!
My sentiments exactly,Pam, nothing slack about our God… thank goodness! When He created us in His image wish we had gotten His Divine philanthropy! 👍
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Every day, you bring me encouragement and cause me to reflect on the love and power of God in my life. What gifts. Thank you. Oh, how your grandchildren are growing so lovely.
Hello Becky…such a beautiful, hope-filled blog today. Yours is usually my very first ‘reading” of the day no matter what time I awake. And yes, I am an early bird who loves the beauty and stillness of these early morning hours with no distractions so that I can truly listen to the comforting voice of my Heavenly Father. Thank you for so faithfully reminding us to keep our hand in His hand. This is when we will know true peace and find comfort and guidance through each day. For me today I look forward to hearing from my sister-in-law in Virginia. She will be phoning me at 6:00 when things are still quiet here at our house. I look forward to this; then later on a drive out into the country to pick blueberries; later a picnic lunch by a mountain lake and perhaps even a swim in the lake on a warm day…..
What an amazingly beautiful day ahead… my vision of it… looks like a Disney Technicolor Animated movie! Have fun! 💗👍
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Oh, Becky, what an amazing story about that young man’s using his story and perspectives to help others!
Thank YOU, for your caring perspective of sharing inspiring stories and thoughts for us to wrap ourselves in their comfort.
Love, Bernice
Awww! Bernice what a lovely comment… isn’t it a wonderful when we get a glimpse of new wave of thinking that is powerful and poignant! Thank you! Stay cool!
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