It was very late one night when I found myself suddenly awakened from my warm, cozy slumber, and I was unable to go back to sleep. Waking up in the middle of the night was nothing new, as I often got up and read my Bible at odd hours, but recently this habit had been waking family members up. Feeling that the Lord had gotten me up for a unique reason this time, I got up, but so as not to wake anyone up I went to the end of the bedroom and stood before the windows with the lights out, deciding I would just pray.
As I stood before the window, my eyes studied the magnificent sky. "Here I am, Lord!" I said in my heart. All was quiet and still. The heavens were awe inspiring, very bright and clear, filled with stars and majestic constellations. A thought went through my mind as I pondered the scene before me that the sky looked very much as it did the night that I accepted the Lord.
It was many years earlier, a restless night, and being unable to sleep I got up and went outside for a walk on the long road running through our farm. I walked for some time and then found myself looking up into the heavens, feeling as though I was just falling over and over. Then it was as if suddenly I felt two large hands catch me. An incredible peace came over me. I went back into the house and found the Bible I had as a child, and I began to read. I remember feeling as though I had found my best friend. From that night on, Jesus became my Savior and Lord, and I could not stop telling people about Him.
My thoughts came back to the present, and remembered what the current date was. It was many years later, but only a few days removed from that life changing night. "It IS the way the sky looked then." I thought. Then tears began to fill my eyes as I realized that I really hadn't changed very much in those thirty plus years. I fell on my face before the Lord and pleaded with Him to please change me, and then I began to just worship Him.
When I shared my experience with a prayer partner the Monday morning following, she said, "The Lord was giving you a birthday party." What a wonderful thought! The Lord who created the heavens and the earth, put the planets and sun into their orbits, created all the stars and knows them by name, the same Lord woke me up just to say, "I love you."
So many scriptures have come to mind. "How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me. O God, how great is the some of them. If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with Thee." Ps 130:17, 18.
Many O Lord my God are Thy wonderful works, and thy thoughts to us-ward. They cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee, if I were to declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Ps. 40:5.
His plans for us are only for good and not for calamity. Jer.31:9–13.
"Who have I in heaven beside Thee, O Lord? Among the gods, there is none like unto Thee, O Lord, neither are there any works like unto Thy works." Ps. 73:25, 86:8–11.
I thought about how joyfully my husband and I had looked forward to each of our children, how we had planned and talked and worked to prepare everything just perfectly even on a limited budget. What an exciting adventure. God also plans each of our lives. He looks through time and space and knows just when each one of us will arrive on planet earth. He knows the plan and destiny He has for each one of us. What a loving and compassionate Heavenly Father we have!
In wondering why the Lord had chosen this particular year to wake me up and remind me of all this, the thought came to me: "He reveals His goodness to us to bring us to repentance." But the Lord answered and said ever so tenderly "No, I wanted to show you just how much I love you."
I felt incredibly humbled by the whole experience, but a sense of confidence and assurance welled up in my heart with praise and thanksgiving. What a mighty God we serve.
