If you know me you know that I usually don’t ever have trouble sleeping…I’m not necessarily what you’d term a deep-sleeper, as I in fact wake up a good few times through the night, but, heading back toward dreams has never been a problem I’ve suffered.
And such was the case, and the exception late last night around 3:00AM. I literally opened my eyes after only one or two clarifying blinks smashed against the pillow, then, as if led by the strangeness of it all, sat straight up in bed. Very odd. I started to look around the room wondering if I my computer’s volume had malfunctioned turning the violined night into screaming strings. I then looked over at my roommate wondering if he had simply woken, and, in turn, caused me to. He was however rhythmically busy with sleep. I then looked down at my cell phone sitting at the foot of my bed charging away its night…it too looked fast asleep. But for some reason I thought, grab it and have a look anyway.
Multi-media message awaiting…
I thought to myself, “great, now my phone is busted…I don’t get media messages…I can’t even send texts (yeah, I’ve been rockin’ the super-cheap phone for 3 years now…and love it).” Sure enough, after one little click to bring up the multi-media in-box, which I had never seen ’til that moment, there it was…God’s little rise and shine. I saw a picture of my mentor/pastor’s wife Shauna and a caption that I knew came from Brian’s fingers…”off to the hospital!”
I escaped my bedroom with as much stealth as possible, wanting to leave my roommate sleeping fast…hurried across the apartment to the furthest corner to talk without waking anyone and called the man and woman of the hour.
What a gift from God it was to be able to share in an event that I relish from afar, having not yet met someone to live such beauty with. My thoughts sprinted through all the emotions that one must go through in the midst of such baby-times. The shoulder-tap Brian was probably given, rousing him from sleep and off to the hospital…listening to his wife breathe just slightly different than normal on the car-ride over…the wonderful war waged between butterflies and knots in his stomach as he enjoyed every moment of anticipation (they did not know whether it was a boy or a girl before-hand).
(sigh)…I felt elated and exhausted in the very best of ways after Brian hung up the phone around 3:30AM. Amidst the whirlwind of thought I did know one thing with certainty…I could not sleep. And so, I did the only thing I could think of…I made pancakes in honor of what I now know is the Princess that entered the world this morning. She does not know it yet, but she will be growing up in Scotland. Brian’s family is moving to Glasgow to serve at the church I just spent last semester at. They are following God’s lead to eventually plant a church in the Glasgow area.
I thank God that I was awakened from sleep early this morning…how thought of am I… that given any other circumstance other than His hand, I would have kept my eyes shut right on through. I…in a way…was allowed to experience the birth of a child! Having been born again in Christ, given new life, I sat early and in the dark, listening to the joy that is a child coming into this world.
You are blessed little one…your Dad is a strong man with a heart I would consider lucky to follow into ministry, anywhere in the world. Your Mother is like clockwork… resplendent most when she is simply in the throws of being Mom, loving, tending, leading and inspiring her husband to in turn lead well. They, side-by-side, make a concert of leadership and Love that you, one day, will see for all it’s worth.
You have another daughter in the Luse family to Love on Lord. May she be Yours from the moment she drew her first.
In our current lack of Eden rejoice that the house of God just became a bit more crowded.
Thank you Lord.
