even when you don't know why He has awakened you. That has happened to me many times. And I usually do not hear the results of my prayers. Did I pray for the right one? The right issue? What was I to have prayed for? Does it matter if I prayed? I like to believe that when God wakes me up that even when I don't have something specific on my mind, He will take my prayers offered and will bring good from them.
Go with me down memory lane.....
There was a night many years ago that I was awakened .... I know I'm going to get the year wrong - perhaps 1996? Or was it 1995?.... when I was awakened in the middle of the night. I knew my daughter had gone to the hospital at midnight to be induced to have her first child. It was to be awhile so we were going to join them at the hospital around 6AM, I think it was. Back then we didn't have cell phones and our telephone was downstairs as we lived in the condo that had an upstairs. We were in bed asleep - sound asleep - when I was awakened. The first thought in my mind was I needed to pray for my daughter and baby. We didn't have ultrasounds then like they do now so we didn't know the sex of the baby yet. So I prayed. Nothing fancy. Just prayed for my daughter to get through this delivery ok. That our new little grandbaby would be strong and healthy. That the delivery would go well. A general prayer in most respects, for I was confident that things were taken care of. She was in the hospital after all, what could go wrong?
When we arrived at the hospital at the general planned time, labor had progressed and it wasn't long before our little Princess Tricia was born. After mom and dad got to hold her, I got to hold this precious gift from God. As I held my new princess, I remembered my prayers for her earlier in the night. I casually mentioned to my daughter about being awakened and praying for her, and for the baby.
Tears started flowing out of my daughter's eyes and she asked around what time was that. When I told her the time frame, she told us that was when there were problems. They couldn't find the baby's heartbeat and had wheeled in the monitors to track it and serious consideration was given to take my daughter in for an immediate c-section. But once the monitors were hooked up, they found the heartbeat and things progressed along. If I recall correctly, and I could be wrong as my memory isn't as sharp as it once was, the cord had wrapped around the baby's neck when she turned, causing the heartbeat to drop.
When I heard the story, I also had tears flowing down my cheeks. My God, who is so great and so mighty, who could do anything He wanted to do, awakened me to pray for my granddaughter, to bring life forward. He created her, He could do anything He wanted. But He allowed me to pray at that specific time to work with Him as He brought her forth for her very first breath. Praise God!
And now.... the time is near for our little Princess to have her own little Princess. Yes, I'm spilling the beans but only one will read this that will know beforehand. (right, son?) With my phone in the other room I don't hear the dinging during the night. Yes, I wear my fitbit to bed, but I don't always feel the buzz when I get a message.
At 1:33AM an image came through of my granddaughter sitting in a hospital bed dressed in a hospital gown. No, our newest princess had not been born, nor has she been born yet. When I got up and saw the photo I sent my own message and the father said he was managing the phones and mommy had received a low dose of pitocin shortly after being admitted at midnight. Got a text a few moments ago that it took 5 tries (ouch!) but they finally got the epidural in, and were increasing the pitocin. Which means we may get a baby soon! They were going to break her water shortly after increasing the pitocin.
As I read that text, I began to pray for our new little princess that is soon to arrive, and my mind wandered back to the time I prayed for her mommy. How precious it is that not only did God allow me to pray life for my granddaughter, but He has given me the blessing of praying for our great-granddaughter as she is born. I am blessed, and humbled, that He would use me for such a time as this.
When God wakes you up in the middle of the night - what do you do? I know, you probably don't recognize it as God waking you up. It was that burrito you ate earlier, right? But have you ever thought that it might be God waking you? That He needs YOU to pray for one of your children? What if He woke you up - and you ignored it - and something happened? I cannot tell you how many times I have been awakened in the night and my first thought is my boys. Especially when I look at the time and imagine they are out late and need to get home safely.
I remember times when the boys - one or the other - would call me and say 'mom, did you pray for me last night?' and I'd answer yes, and ask why. How thankful I was that I prayed when I'd hear their story. One specifically was when they were stopped by the police and they were drunk.... but immediately went sober? Is that a correct remembrance? Like I said, some memories are but memories. I may find the story in a journal somewhere. I still need to start going through these journals and type out the things I want passed on, and dispose of these with just words in them. Some day. I think I have two-three boxes of these journals so it will take awhile to go through them. Maybe I'll type them up and put in a notebook... if I leave on the computer, and the computer gets thrown away, they will be lost forever. I rarely write in the journals anymore. I spend my time typing here, rather than writing. I talk with God rather than writing to Him.
When your children don't live at home anymore, and you don't know where they are or what they are doing, sometimes that wake-up moment - even though it may be because of that last meal you had - that wake up moment may be God letting you know that you need to pray for them. When you awaken, ask God is there is something specific you should pray about. If you don't get an answer, bring your children before Him and ask Him to take care of them. Watch over and protect them. Keep them safe from this virus going around. Keep them healthy and strong. Bless them, and give them all that they need. When was the last time you BLESSED your children?
You may never know what the results are when you ask God to watch over your loved ones. They may not even realize it. But if they know you pray, they will ask you, 'did you pray for me?' Or perhaps they will tell you a story of something that happened, and you will remember being awakened around that time, not knowing what was going on, and just saying a simple prayer.... "God, would you please watch over my child, and keep them safe and secure."
So simple. So easy. Even a prayer-less person can do it.
Blessings!
1 comment:
Instant sobriety? Where was that when I needed it 16 years ago? lol
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