Wake Up Call

Don't you just hate it when you wake straight up in the middle of the night for no reason? At first you are confused, thinking it must be morning. But no, its still dark outside. You look at the clock: 4:00 am. Then you think perhaps you must have heard something and you get up to investigate. The house is quiet save for the rumbling of the furnace, though Lord knows the apartment is none too warm.



You poke around just to be sure, then go back to bed, snuggling underneath the warm wool blankets, tucking them up under your chin. And stare at the ceiling. Can't go back to sleep. You sigh and roll over on your side, but sleep evades you. This is the point when I think perhaps God woke me to pray for someone.



I always think about my parents first, and say a prayer for their health and safety. Then come the kids, each one in their turn, each with a different struggle or issue. Then friends come to mind for pray. If I am still awake after that, I move towards general categories of people - children who are hungry or living in refugee camps, people living with pain and no relief in sight, people who are cold and have no shelter, people with cancer. One is hard put to run out of people to pray for!



Whether I go back to sleep or not is immaterial. The work of prayer is probably the most important activity I will engage in today. One never knows how far reaching your prayers, whispered into the darkness of predawn hours, will be. I know I was prayed for when I was so ill, I am glad to pray for others.



6am finally rolls around. Easy to rise when you have already been at work for hours. And a great way to start the day in peace and a sense of the presence of God in the world. Even in spite of the snow and cancelled school!