3:08AM - Really?

Though written by many over a period of a millennium and a half, the miracle of the Bible is its single message of divine redemption. From Genesis to Revelation it tells of our sin, that a holy God cannot condone sin. God's love, however, guarantees forgiveness to all who turn to God in repentance and faith.  This message comes through today as clearly as it did nearly 2000 years ago.  How We Got Our Bible - R. Earle

It's amazing and a little weird sometimes how God just keeps bringing the same idea to me until I can process through it.

One day last week God decided it was time for us to start our day at 3:08am.  See God and I have this deal...if He wakes me up after 3am and I don't fall back asleep within 5 minutes...then He has woke me for a reason and I will do my part to meet with Him so we can spend some time together and figure it out.  Thus, at 3:08am I was quietly walking down the stairs to grab my Bible and my special corner of the couch by the fire place.  We met. Just me and my heavenly daddy.  We spent some time together in John and then in Numbers and then we talked.  Seriously some of the best face time we have had all year.  I was honest, God was gentle and when we were done, man I was ready to run!

A little later that morning, with some fresh coffee in hand, I was able to dive into "31" (an online daily devo that I am doing with some friends) and on this day, the topic was the Bible. I had casually mentioned how I've made it a habit to write in and date passages in my Bible over the years.  Sometimes it's a verse that stood out to me, or maybe a relevant insight from a pastor. After whipping up some waffles for the boys and sorting the laundry I wrote 3 papers on Wesleyan theology, took 2 online tests, finished up a free reading book and basiclly went about my day.  Then about 9pm that night I got a text from a friend that basically said "check your email, you're my phone a friend".  She had a quick question about a random reference that she and her study buddy had come across that day in their daily devo time. I read the scripture, and then read it a second and a third time.  I kept thinking "I know about that, I just read about that, recently, but where?"  I trotted down to the den, grabbed my Bible off the mantle and there it was...It was in the first part of the last chapter that God and I had spent some time in just 16 hours earlier. In the margin was a note, in my handwriting from March of 2003!  And wouldn't you know, it was exactly the information that answered my friends question.  Have I mentioned how cool God is?!

See I thought that the 3:08am wake up call was about face time for me and my heavenly daddy, and it was. But it also gave me the chance to be ready to be used by God for His glory later that day in the life of a sister.  I was able to tell her about God's wake up call, and the reading and the prayer and the notes in the margins. I encouraged her to respond in the moment when God prompts her too, and she promised she would - though she said she was gonna ask God to wait until at least 5am. That's cool - can't wait to hear what God thinks about that :-)