Alarm

It is the second morning of the 2019 deer hunting season.  I am laying awake in bed.  I have been awake for several minutes now.  I don't really know how long.  There are no lights on.  It is still dark....it is obvious that no one else is awake in the cabin either.  I don’t want to look at the clock because 4:30 a.m. always comes too quickly and if I look at the clock and it is close to 4:30 I can kiss any further sleep goodbye.  So I lay there awake, wondering what time it is.  I had already been up once during the night to use the little boys room.  At that point it was only 3:30, giving me one more FULL hour to sleep.  I have already dozed off at least once since then.  As I lie awake, I am a little bit surprised that my alarm has not gone off yet.

Finally, I concede to the reality that I need to check the time.  I lean over and press the button on my iphone.  The display reads, “Alarm” “5:43 a.m.” “snooze?” It takes me a moment for the reality to sink in.  Alarm?  5:43?  Hmmm…I didn’t set the alarm for 5:43…I set it for 4:30…why would it say...???  “Oh great Scott!...the alarm has been going off for an hour and 13 minutes!  It is way beyond time to wake up!"

Apparently…I had muted my phone while in the woods the previous day so as not to scare away any deer while in the woods.  It appears that I have not only succeeded in avoiding the scaring away of any deer, but of any humans as well.

This isn’t the first time that we have overslept for a deer hunt.  I remember one such morning in college, my Dad and I along with one of my friends from college, got up early, (4:30 a.m.) drove to the woods to arrive well before dawn, while it was still quite dark.  My dad turned off the truck engine…then all three of us leaned our heads back and fell asleep in the truck until 9:30 a.m. Weird how we didn’t see any deer that morning.

Every day we face the reality of wake up time.  For some of us it is very early.  For others it might be quite later…like after our Western Civilizations 101 college course.  (Note: sleeping could take place in or out of class in the previously given example).

However, beyond our physical wakefulness, there lies a deeper call to awaken.  I  believe that we are all being called to awaken to spiritual realities that we may otherwise be unaware of.  I believe that we are called to awaken to the call to salvation.  I believe we are being called to awaken to what God is doing around the world.

It is time for God’s people…each one of us to wake up to the Kingdom Realities, that God is placing in front of us.  It is time to stop laying in bed, ignoring the silent alarm and to arise and embrace the Kingdom of the Lord.