My dad loves to talk about my sleepwalking adventures. Whenever and wherever there are parents reflecting and conversing about their kids, my dad will somehow find a way to be in there throwing and tossing my stories around like pancakes. (Sometimes my dad doesn't realize that others may not want my pancakes, but he serves them anyway.) In any case, yes, I was a sleepwalker. And yes, the stories I'm about to share with you are real, or so I'm told. So just in case my dad hasn't told you yet...
In both of the following incidences I was three years old, and I went to bed like any other night. Story: check. Tucked in: check. Prayer: check. To the best of my knowledge, I didn't eat any crazy foods nor was I dropped or elbowed those days. It was typical from sunrise to sunset. And no, my parents didn't rub wild turkey on my lips to help with colic.
A Midnight Stroll
Were you ever tempted to get out of your comfy bed and just stroll the streets naked? Me neither, but on one particular night I must have had the insatiable urge to do just that. (Well, some part of me did, even though the important part was still sleeping.) At around midnight I got out of my bed, walked downstairs and made my way to the middle of Cochran Street, cruising like I owned it. I realize this is hard to imagine and maybe you're tempted to call Children and Youth but let me defend my parents. This was nearly thirty years ago, and we lived in an extremely safe neighborhood. Deadbolts and chain locks were only used by those who had received them during a white elephant game at the staff Christmas party. It just so happened that one of our neighbors was driving home and saw me. I would have paid a lot of money to see his "human-in-the-headlights" expression. After a few eye wipes and jaw drops he returned me to my rightful owners, of course. Owners who hadn't even started making the signs or noticed I was missing. They were grateful.
Hunger Pains
Did you ever lay in bed and out of nowhere you become so hungry that you can't sleep? This happens to me often, as I have an abnormally fast metabolism. My doctor refers to my metabolism as Bolt (as in Usain Bolt, Olympic Gold runner). It's an accurate title, and it's just easier to say "Bolt" versus "metabolism." I always chuckle when he uses it in a sentence though. "Josh, people would give anything to have your bolt." Anyway, this next sleepwalking adventure takes the cake, literally. I get out of bed, head downstairs and go right for my mom's triple layer chocolate cake that she made for company that was coming over the next evening. I got a stool, climbed up on the counter and with both hands just starting cramming it in. It must have been awesome, a glorious moment. I then did what any responsible three-year-old would do. I got in the bathtub. My parents told me the bath water running woke them up, and it completely freaked them out. Did you ever hear a noise in the middle of the night and become frozen with fear? Bath water running at three in the morning is just eerie. I'll give you some blank space to just imagine it happening to you. _______________________________________________________. I'm surprised this scare tactic hasn't been used by villians or bad guys in movies yet. This move would surely paralyze the victims as well as the viewers. Anyway, my parents found me sitting in chocolate water still enjoying the remnants from my fingers. By the way, chocolate cake is still the only cake I really like.
Definition of "Sleepwalking"
Sleep disorder where the sufferer engages in activities that are normally associated with wakefulness while he or she is asleep or in a sleeplike state.
This definition is interesting in that it calls the one sleepwalking a sufferer. I didn't feel like a sufferer while I was out on the town or sinking my hands into delicious, moist cake. But then again, I couldn't remember anything the morning after. Not the cool breeze that brushed against my thin, soft hair as I passed mailbox after mailbox. Not the chocolate cake that filled every square inch of my mouth and every other crevice for that matter. Not even the amazing sensation of warm bath water filling up my diaper drew a recollection of the sweet, once-in-a- lifetime adventure that I strangely lived yet didn't.
I'm beginning to think that maybe God wanted me to experience this phenomenon of sleepwalking, because He wants me to see firsthand that we can live yet be fully asleep. Our hours, days, and houses can be filled with lots of stuff. Our lives can be full of experiences, interactions, and even adventure, but if Jesus isn't included, if we're living out our own dreams, we're really suffering. We're in a sleeplike state. A life lived without Jesus isn't life at all. It's a bad copy that ends up looking nothing like the original, intended masterpiece. Without Jesus our lives become a neverending holding pattern. Holding patterns are temporary and they're not meant to be enjoyable. But what happens is we get distracted while circling. We forget that the journey isn't over yet and there is more for us to do. We forget that there's a final destination. We become satisfied with the lives we've created and crafted and we settle in. We get comfy...and...yawn... snore. Maybe our routines and traditions have lulled us to spiritual unconsciousness. Maybe it's time to take inventory of the every day - to make sure we truly are alive and alert. Because one day we're going to go to sleep and Jesus will be the One waking us up.
Will your life be worth remembering? How will others retell your story? More importantly, how will He retell your story?
May we say no to the fillers and yes to the Fulfiller.
May we live with the lights on and the blankets off.
May Jesus be our night light, guiding our every step and movement.
And may we live like there's a final destination with Jesus waiting at the baggage claim.
May He be holding up our name.
Romans 13:13 (The Message)
But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing!
In both of the following incidences I was three years old, and I went to bed like any other night. Story: check. Tucked in: check. Prayer: check. To the best of my knowledge, I didn't eat any crazy foods nor was I dropped or elbowed those days. It was typical from sunrise to sunset. And no, my parents didn't rub wild turkey on my lips to help with colic.
A Midnight Stroll
Were you ever tempted to get out of your comfy bed and just stroll the streets naked? Me neither, but on one particular night I must have had the insatiable urge to do just that. (Well, some part of me did, even though the important part was still sleeping.) At around midnight I got out of my bed, walked downstairs and made my way to the middle of Cochran Street, cruising like I owned it. I realize this is hard to imagine and maybe you're tempted to call Children and Youth but let me defend my parents. This was nearly thirty years ago, and we lived in an extremely safe neighborhood. Deadbolts and chain locks were only used by those who had received them during a white elephant game at the staff Christmas party. It just so happened that one of our neighbors was driving home and saw me. I would have paid a lot of money to see his "human-in-the-headlights" expression. After a few eye wipes and jaw drops he returned me to my rightful owners, of course. Owners who hadn't even started making the signs or noticed I was missing. They were grateful.
Hunger Pains
Did you ever lay in bed and out of nowhere you become so hungry that you can't sleep? This happens to me often, as I have an abnormally fast metabolism. My doctor refers to my metabolism as Bolt (as in Usain Bolt, Olympic Gold runner). It's an accurate title, and it's just easier to say "Bolt" versus "metabolism." I always chuckle when he uses it in a sentence though. "Josh, people would give anything to have your bolt." Anyway, this next sleepwalking adventure takes the cake, literally. I get out of bed, head downstairs and go right for my mom's triple layer chocolate cake that she made for company that was coming over the next evening. I got a stool, climbed up on the counter and with both hands just starting cramming it in. It must have been awesome, a glorious moment. I then did what any responsible three-year-old would do. I got in the bathtub. My parents told me the bath water running woke them up, and it completely freaked them out. Did you ever hear a noise in the middle of the night and become frozen with fear? Bath water running at three in the morning is just eerie. I'll give you some blank space to just imagine it happening to you. _______________________________________________________. I'm surprised this scare tactic hasn't been used by villians or bad guys in movies yet. This move would surely paralyze the victims as well as the viewers. Anyway, my parents found me sitting in chocolate water still enjoying the remnants from my fingers. By the way, chocolate cake is still the only cake I really like.
Definition of "Sleepwalking"
Sleep disorder where the sufferer engages in activities that are normally associated with wakefulness while he or she is asleep or in a sleeplike state.
This definition is interesting in that it calls the one sleepwalking a sufferer. I didn't feel like a sufferer while I was out on the town or sinking my hands into delicious, moist cake. But then again, I couldn't remember anything the morning after. Not the cool breeze that brushed against my thin, soft hair as I passed mailbox after mailbox. Not the chocolate cake that filled every square inch of my mouth and every other crevice for that matter. Not even the amazing sensation of warm bath water filling up my diaper drew a recollection of the sweet, once-in-a- lifetime adventure that I strangely lived yet didn't.
I'm beginning to think that maybe God wanted me to experience this phenomenon of sleepwalking, because He wants me to see firsthand that we can live yet be fully asleep. Our hours, days, and houses can be filled with lots of stuff. Our lives can be full of experiences, interactions, and even adventure, but if Jesus isn't included, if we're living out our own dreams, we're really suffering. We're in a sleeplike state. A life lived without Jesus isn't life at all. It's a bad copy that ends up looking nothing like the original, intended masterpiece. Without Jesus our lives become a neverending holding pattern. Holding patterns are temporary and they're not meant to be enjoyable. But what happens is we get distracted while circling. We forget that the journey isn't over yet and there is more for us to do. We forget that there's a final destination. We become satisfied with the lives we've created and crafted and we settle in. We get comfy...and...yawn... snore. Maybe our routines and traditions have lulled us to spiritual unconsciousness. Maybe it's time to take inventory of the every day - to make sure we truly are alive and alert. Because one day we're going to go to sleep and Jesus will be the One waking us up.
Will your life be worth remembering? How will others retell your story? More importantly, how will He retell your story?
May we say no to the fillers and yes to the Fulfiller.
May we live with the lights on and the blankets off.
May Jesus be our night light, guiding our every step and movement.
And may we live like there's a final destination with Jesus waiting at the baggage claim.
May He be holding up our name.
Romans 13:13 (The Message)
But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing!
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