Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: PUNCH (08/27/20)
-
TITLE: Morning Blues | Previous Challenge Entry
By Marilyn Borga
09/03/20 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
The small lilting voice invaded my consciousness like a slow tide. I moaned as I opened one eye to peek at my early-rising toddler. Not for the first time, I wished that this job of parenting had come with a time clock that would allow me to punch in or punch out at will. To have a full eight hours of uninterrupted sleep was an unattainable dream at this point in my life. It felt as though I had barely laid my infant daughter down after her last feeding. Enthusiasm for climbing out of bed was non-existent.
My son stood gazing out my east window at the salmon-pink sky. His short dark curls were disheveled; his countenance was bright with anticipation of the new day. He turned his chocolate-brown eyes and gap-toothed grin toward me. Only a heart of stone could resist the joy of life in that face.
So I dragged my body out of bed, and we tip-toed hand-in-hand past the nursery to the kitchen. On the way, I noted that my son’s Scooby Do pajamas were becoming too snug on his body, a reminder that the job of parenting is ever-changing. Would he still love Scooby when we shopped for the next size?
One by one, every worry and fear that had plagued me all week began to load itself into my sluggish mind. Would we be able to make it on my husband’s salary alone? Will we need new tires before winter sets in? What will the doctor say about the baby’s rash? How will I ever get the house cleaned by the time my in-laws arrive next week?
Later, after my husband was home from his night shift, he played with the children, allowing me some much-coveted alone time. In my exhaustion, I was tempted to dive back into my bed, if only for a minute or two. Instead, I stifled a yawn and grabbed my Bible. To my shame, a dust ball floated upward from the cover. Had it been that long? I had the nagging sense that the rest I craved was as much spiritual as it was physical.
I cracked the book open toward the middle, remembering my abandoned habit of reading at least one psalm every day. A bookmark rested on Psalm 121, one of my longtime favorites:
I will lift up my eyes to the hills---
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.
I lifted my eyes, not to the hills, but to the baskets of laundry piled atop the washing machine; tried not to feel overwhelmed. I zeroed in on the next verses:
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
I pondered the thought: God doesn’t punch a time clock! He’s here now, never-resting, ever-diligent to take care of his own, those he loves. I read on:
The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
Joyful giggles rang out from the living room. Peace began to seep into my soul, and with it, rest.
“Cherish this time,” my Keeper seemed to be telling me. “The road is constantly shifting, but I will be here to guide you each step of the way.”
The next morning, when my son awakened me with his “sun’s up” refrain, his cheerful attitude was contagious. Oh, I was still sleep-deprived, and it would be some months before my baby slept through the night, but somehow, my burdens seemed lighter. I determined to rest in the realization that the Lord, my helper, my keeper, my preserver--- will never clock out or abandon me. He’ll be here to light my way, forevermore.
*****
Psalm 121 (NKJV)
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
