A Most Alarming Experience

Today I am to meet Marie at 9:30 for morning coffee. I slept badly, so I decided to wait until the alarm clock went off at 7:30 to get up. Now understand that the Lord has made it clear that I am to spend quality time with Him before I start the day. Waiting until 7:30 would not have given me much time to do that. When I woke up at 5:30 I told the Lord I was too tired to get up and promptly went back to sleep. Sometime later I was dreaming about a bell ringing in a firehouse, calling the firemen to answer a call. About then the loudest noise, like an air horn, was blaring in my dream. I thought my fire alarm had gone off. Immediately, I jumped up and listened. My response to the dream was to say, “I’m sorry Lord, I will get up and spend time with you before I meet Marie.”

I know there is a call on my life to be like Anna (Luke 2:36-37), spending quality time with the Lord every day in prayer. This is a hard call. It is easier to witness in the marketplace than to discipline myself to untold hours dedicated to fellowship and prayer with Jesus. I am not proud to say this. The reward is always great, but for some reason in the past I have neglected that call. I think after this morning I have seen how important it is to set aside my creature comforts to meet with the Holy God who loves me so much He desires to spend time with me at the start of the day. How awesome this is!

In the past I have dealt with low self-esteem, but the Lord is now showing me who He made me is who He wants me to be. When I think less of myself, I need to always remember He went to the trouble to “sound the alarm” so that I would get up and spend time with Him. Thank you, Jesus, for you love. Please forgive me for putting You off at 5:30. I wonder how many alarms I have missed in the past. I pray I won’t need to be jolted awake anymore but be eager to get up and be at one with You.


Matthew 26:41 Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.