I can tell when I have hit the middle
of a work week, the weariness comes creeping up upon me.
This morning, I got up, refreshed the A.M.E. Today web site (http://www.ame-today.com), then proceeded to
rediscover that nice, warm, comfortable spot I had only recently abandoned in my
bed.
It is rare that I take the time to do that, return to bed for just a little more sleep.
It was sound, it was deep. The perfect example of the Peace That Passeth All
Understanding!
Then, a voice broke through my reverie. "John, are you awake!" I have been
married to the same wonderful woman for 24 years. For 24 years, it is the same
routine.
I always have wondered, for 24 years, what the right answer is for that question. If you
hear the question and respond, the answer is a given. They do the same thing to you
in in the hospital, in the middle of the night, ask you if you are awake, and then tell
you to go back to sleep. It is a humankind tradition.
What caused me to think, was how my wife's voice entered into my sleep world.
It was quiet, still and yet I knew it.
Every day I anticipate hearing another still quiet voice and it is not that of my wife
checking on the status of my sleep.
But it too comes to me with a sense of total peace that can only be approximated by a deep
sleep. Like the question of "are you awake," the message this voice speaks
requires no response.
When we hear the Lord calling us, it should be a familiar voice, like that of a spouse you
have shared half your life with.
Each day we should take a quiet moment to hear that voice. To listen to what God has
to say to us. Often times we are too busy talking to listen. God tries to speak to
us each and every day. His voice, peaceful. His message, hopeful. How
many days have we heard what He has had to say to us?
In my slumber state, I am not sure if I heard every word, either before, or after, the
question of "are you awake." but we need to strive not to miss a second of God's
message. He too questions us, asks us are we awake, when we fail to hear His
word lying softly and sweetly in our ears.
When my wife heard my voice saying, "I'm awake," she realized my slumber had
concluded. When God sees us, through our actions, say "Send Me," He knows
that we are awake and striving to obey His Will and His Way.
That quiet still voice is trying to talk to us today. "Are You Awake?"
