Obedience

Time to WAKE UP!

Be ENERGETIC in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That ENERGY is God’s ENERGY, an ENERGY deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.

Philippians 2:13 The Message

 

I LOVE TO SLEEP.  Mornings are rough on this lady!

Don’t misunderstand – I am not lazy.  In fact, the reason I love to sleep is precisely because I never stop moving when I’m awake.  And I NEED sleep to maintain this pace.

But there is a moment, EVERY SINGLE DAY, when I lay in bed, in that dreamy stage between sleep and wake, and I talk to myself…

  • “Do I really need to wash my hair today?  If I don’t wash my nasty hair, I could sleep more now.  Who will SEE my hair today?”
  • “In fact, do I stink?  Is a shower entirely necessary?”
  • “How can I cancel the rest of this week?  And how shall I explain my canceling to everyone?”
  • “Maybe Steve can manage getting the kids ready for school.  If I lay here REALLY still, will he think I’m exhausted and just take control of my duties?”
  • “When is the next possible moment I can nap?  Can I actually make it until then?”
  • “My throat is sore, I am the sickest person on the planet.  NO ONE would get up if they felt like I feel right now.”

For 5 to 10 minutes this is all I do.  I dread waking up.  If given the choice, in that moment, I would forgo food, cleanliness, daylight, productivity, fun, LIVING — all of it.

BUT every single solitary day:  I. GET. UP.

Initially though, I react as though the world is at war with me.  I need time to get my game back on.  It doesn’t take very long, but between that alarm and the 15 minutes of silence I need upon walking away from my warm, cozy, addiction of a bed, I am absolutely sure I will not survive this day.  No way.  No how.

Then, BAM!, out of nowhere it’s absolutely incredible how quickly “the shift” comes and serious stuff is getting accomplished.  I’m not just “picking things up around the house”, I’m in deep scrubbing mode.  The kids are already on their way to school, latte is in hand and activities on my to-do list are in full swing.  I’m happy and motivated.  Where did evil Heather run off to so quickly?

It’s crazy that EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I say to myself, “I’m so glad I got up!” (washed my greasy hair, cleaned my stinky self, didn’t cancel all I’ve committed to do, kissed the kids off to school, fought against the sore throat that has strangely disappeared, and attacked my life in the way that’s in my heart to do it).

Yet, you better believe, tomorrow morning, I will have that argument with myself ONCE AGAIN…

And I’ve come to realize that this is exactly how we act every time God tells us to do something.

“It’s so hard.”  “I wouldn’t dare.” “He’ll forgive me if I don’t.” “What I’m doing is already more than most.” “Surely, He didn’t ask that.” “I’ll do it another time.” “I won’t be good at it.”

This repetitive pressing of the snooze button in our spiritual lives can cause us to stagnate to such an extent that we convince ourselves not to try.  We just go back to sleep.  And you know what?  This is often why we live our lives feeling empty, lacking purpose and confused.  While we’re weak and fragile, we forget how AMAZING it feels to bring light to people’s darkness, DO unto others and make big bold decisions that change EVERYTHING.

It might take all that is in you to get over that initial hurdle with God on any given:

  • Task you believe He’s handed you
  • Person you need to speak life into
  • Move you need to make
  • Leap of faith you have to take
  • Hand you need to raise

But making the choice to stand up and DO, is by far the hardest part.  Sleeping is good (ah, and oh so comforting), but it’s only to recharge so you can start DOING again.

The Bible says: “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall MOUNT UP with wings like eagles; they shall RUN and NOT BE WEARY; they shall WALK and NOT FAINT.”  Isaiah 40:31

Some of us have been waiting and renewing for so long that we now need to kick start our MOUNTING UP!  It’s time to RUN and FLY!

Today’s a new day.  TIME TO GET UP.

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  • Erica December 15, 2014 at 12:59 pm

    You write with vivid picture & creativity sharing truths we need to grasp. Thank you for these words at the start of this new week!

  • Bob Menges December 15, 2014 at 2:29 pm

    The things we all think. Brought to life on the page. The pitfalls waiting to scarf us up.

    Now they are in sight and they are in mind!

    No joy without peace, no peace without righteousness and no righteousness without war!
    We fight…

  • Phyllis Paladin December 16, 2014 at 2:35 am

    This is speaking to me right where I need it. Thanks.

    • Heather Yoder December 23, 2014 at 8:16 pm

      It’s very encouraging to know that the Father is speaking to lots of us in the same kinds of ways. =)

  • Linda Chermer December 16, 2014 at 10:48 pm

    So enjoying your blogs!

    • Heather Yoder December 23, 2014 at 8:15 pm

      Linda, thank you!! I’m very encouraged to hear that!