I will have to admit that I am at my most vulnerable between the hours of 3 and 4 o’clock in the morning. It is between these two digits that I often wake to vivid dreams or thoughts related to work. It is during this period of time that my imagination runs wild and my mind is most always convinced that the worse case scenario is going to play itself out.

If I wake during this time period and can’t go back to sleep within about 15 minutes I have learned to get up and read and then after a half hour or so my mind is settled enough to allow sleep to resume.

Many times I awake with the realization that I haven’t dotted all my “I’s” or crossed all my “T’s”. Even though most of the time the information is valid, I have to assume it is the enemy of my soul who attacks me with these types of insights at this particular hour of the the day. Our enemy knows our weaknesses and is not above pushing every button he can to keep us slightly unraveled.

What I have found however, is that the truth of the situation is always what will set us free. If the particular insight is something that affects someone else, rather than avoid the situation and hope that your vain imagination will vanish with the light of dawn—I have found that freedom lies in being open and honest at the first opportunity with whoever is involved.

Lets say you forgot to do something you told someone you would do—rather than fret over it and any imagined repercussions, it is best to cut the enemy off at the pass and let that person know as soon as possible that a glitch has occurred and make plans with how to deal with it. The problem is that none of that reasoning makes a lot of sense at three in the morning. But we live and we learn and this is a good lesson.

I liken this dilemma to a scripture passage about David sinning and running away from God when what he should have done is run towards Him. I guess we are still in the mode of a punishment sort of God rather than an accepting father type God.

That’s the insight for today—we learn only with the passage of time. And gracious is He to hold our hand and teach us what we need to know.

In other matters: in my last post I shared a picture of an old model-t type car slowly being devoured by nature. The picture was taken in Calumet, Michigan during a trip in the early 70’s. Sara, the grand-daughter of the family who lived by the property where the picture was taken, sent me a picture of the car’s state after at least 25 years of time had passed since the original picture was taken. I have concluded that to see the transformation is almost like an act of grace in that we are part of what has been and is almost no more (although most of who we are is still here). I can’t specifically say what the meaning to this is although I know that meaning exists in this and what continues in us. Maybe a subject for another post.

Anyway, enjoy your ride and the transformation that is continually before us.

Picture of car in the early seventies—I was kind of a black and white photo kind of guy.

And the picture of the same car many years later (in full color none the less).

And so it goes—”…something is lost and something gained in living everyday.” Joni Mitchell