While you were sleeping

     I think I've fallen asleep in just about any situation you can imagine.  I've fallen asleep while my hair has been cut, fallen asleep while sitting on top of a table, fallen asleep behind the wheel and so many other situations.  Never mind that I have a slight case of narcolepsy!  I've fallen asleep with babies in my arms and children on my lap.  I've fallen asleep on the job and while people were talking with me.  Some of the incidents are funny and some are not.  Some were rather serious while others gave people a chance to laugh at me and just maybe themselves.  I've been left in a room while everyone quietly left and also awakened when someone dropped a book on my desk.  Rude is not good.  Abandonment isn't either.  When I was a gardener I could fall asleep on my breaks just about anywhere.  Perhaps you don't have the sleep problem but rather have the sleep blessing.  Being able to fall asleep is wonderful unless you can't stay asleep or have your sleep in turmoil with nightmares or night terrors.  Of all the times and situations where I've fallen asleep I think the most serious were the times I've fallen asleep spiritually.  Like the disciples who were left to "watch and pray" while Jesus went off to pray, I too have fallen asleep.
     While I have been spiritually asleep people have come into and out of my life who needed to be pointed to the Savior.  But I was asleep and didn't wake for the task given to me.  Missed opportunities come to mind over and over for many of us.  We may have missed the opportunity and not done what we should have done while sleeping on the job.  Don't get me wrong, our bodies need sleep and more importantly rest.  It's the way God designed us to recharge and stay healthy.  With my PTSD there are times I'm fearful of going to sleep knowing that nightmares possibly await me.  It's not a good thing but it is real.  The nightmares are triggered from remembrances of times when I was awake and experienced more than I could of or should of.  Sleep escapes me at times and I just have to deal with it.  We are told in Scripture to rest in the Lord for the hour is coming when we will not be able to rest.  We are encouraged to stand firm on Christ and face whatever comes our ways because He can keep us in his care.  While I was sleeping a deep work is being done inside of my subconscious.  God is taking care of what is going on inside of me.  But what else is happening while I am sleeping?  While you are sleeping?
     When I turn on the computer in the morning I see the headlines of some of the more attention grabbing events that have taken place or are taking place all over the world.  There is sometimes so much information about so many events that I have to go somewhere else to deal with the overload.  It's not a pleasant world that we live in.  Every day while Christians sleep thousands of babies are aborted, families are being destroyed, kids are becoming addicted to drugs, gang violence and school violence is injuring or killing hundreds if not thousands.  Hookers are "making a living" and robbers are taking because they think they can.  Wars are ravishing countries and peoples everywhere and the cults are knocking on someone's door.  Every day.  While Christians sleep.  Spiritually asleep Christians are not able to do much if anything to further the Gospel of Christ to the world we are set in.  Confronted by Jesus the disciples woke and he once again went apart to pray telling them to be watching and waiting.  What happened?  They went back to sleep.  We do that too.  It's called going to church on Sunday and then living as we wish the rest of the week.
     The pews are full of people who have confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Yet, they sleep.  Yet, we sleep.  Christians homes are not recognized because of the sleeping Christians who live there.  While you were choosing to sleep the world around you was not seeing, hearing or experiencing the love of Jesus.  Is that something we can live with?  Choosing to be spiritually awake is essential for our love of God to be expressed to the world we live in.  Without that love being expressed, how can they know Jesus?  If they don't know Jesus, how can the be saved?  If they aren't being saved, what happens to their souls?  Choose to wake up.  It's your choice.