lie awake, dear one.

So yesterday.

I'm glad it is now yesterday.  And I wouldn't want to do that again.

Even with a fun grown-up night out in the middle (thank you BOB AND LAUNA for watching the kids, Sharon and Linda for the lasagna that made it possible, the visitors who went host-less, and to Ethan and Haylie, who I'm pretty sure kept Sofie happy all night).

As I was laying in bed around 2 am, still wide awake, a very sick husband (the downside of eating out last night), two girls who kept waking up because they can hear very sick husband, an additionally very discouraged husband, trying to be an encouragement to him, trying to be patient with the girls, trying hard to GO TO SLEEP...I was drawn to Him.

I don't know about you, but He always feels extra close in the middle of the night.

It is (mostly) quiet.  My ears are finally perked to His voice.  My mind is slow, my computer and phone are off and my door is closed.

In the inky night, when I can't see anything else, I can often finally see the One Unseen.  The One who hears the heart.  The One who Knows.

And I'm sharing all this this morning just to say that He Is.

Every shadow, every corner, every hidden place He Is.

Every unknown, every uncertain, every unseen, He is, too.

And when we call out to Him, to fill all those places, to hem us in, to be brilliant in our darknesses and weakness, loneliness and struggles, shortcomings and fears...He shines.

He is more than complete.

As the sun rose over our mountains this morning, I awoke bleary-eyed and crazy-haired, but renewed by the Light of the World, restored by His grace, a song in my heart of His faithfulness.

And maybe that's not where you are.  Maybe things still feel really dark.  Maybe your corners still feel unreached.  Maybe your hiddens still feel overwhelming.

Lie Awake, dear one.  

Do not move.  Do not distract.  Do not divert.

There is freedom, total light and complete hope to be found in Our God.  There is healing, instant and progressive, to be found in His Hands.  There is strength for the weary, there are 12 extra baskets for the hungry, there is MORE for the taking.

There is nothing that is too much for Him to overcome, no chains He's not anxious to break, no pain, no anger, no heartbreak He does not understand and KNOW and is not ready to replace.

So, here's my Oprah moment, my "One Thing I Know for Sure" today.

When we seek Him, especially in the darkness, He. Is. Found.

And will not leave us wanting.