Warm Me Up

The bed was warm, the pillows just the way I like them and my fan was humming that monotone hum that always helps me sleep when I was awoken by the phone ringing. As I rolled over and picked up the receiver I growled "Hello?" I heard, "It’s 6:00 baby, get up." It was my sweetie, Shane. I’m most definitely NOT a morning person and to some extent he is. When Shane is working day shift he always calls and wakes me up and this day was no different. We talked for a few minutes with me drifting in and out of sleep when he says, "It is really cold outside, so go out there and warm the car up before you leave." This statement made my eyes pop open like Kevin from Home Alone when he realized his family left without him! Winter is probably my favorite season except the dreaded "warm the car up" part. We don’t have a garage so every winter morning I have to drudge outside, crank the car, turn the defrost on and warm the car up. I wasn’t fully awake by the time I went to crank the car. The cold wind slapped me in the face as I opened the door and my puppy immediately began to jump like he had springs in his hind legs until I stopped to pet him. As I bent down to give him some attention he licked my face and even though I love those puppy kisses his nose was wet and cold and I thought "Ewww....puppy slime!" I cranked the car, turned the heat on and all but ran back inside the house.

I finished up my morning routine, flat-ironed my hair, brushed my teeth, turned the heat down, checked myself ‘do I have everything?’, and out the door I went. When I opened the door my puppy was right there ready to give more kisses and he jumped up and down like he hadn’t seen me in ermmm....a whole 10 minutes! I pet him once again, jumped in the car and off to work I went. It’s close to the holiday season and the local radio station is playing Christmas music so I’m having myself a good time singing Christmas songs when all of a sudden it hits me...."I wonder if God gets frustrated having to warm us up?" Does he sit in heaven with his face in his hands shaking his head back and forth thinking "What more do I need to do for you to realize how much I love you? I sent my son to die on the cross for YOU! I gave you everything I have. Is that not enough?!?!?!"

When you sit and think about it...what do we have to be so mully-grubb about anyway? In Psalm 57:8-11 he tells us that we need to wake up ...Awake, my soul! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.

Go back to that moment when you were saved and freed from the guilt and shame of your sins. You couldn’t contain yourself! You wanted to shout it from the mountain tops, wanted to dive into reading the Bible, ran people off the road to get to church and talked about God and your salvation every day...all day long. Do you still do that? Do you still have that zeal? Are you awake?

As time passes we often get cold, a little ice on our windshields and tend to sputter instead of staying fired up. Today I challenge you to share with the lady at the grocery store what God has done for you. Stop a co-worker in the hall and tell her how blessed you are today. Allow the woman who waited until the very last minute to merge, come in front of you in traffic and then just wave at her. Wake up ladies! Warm your heart up, just catch your breath and share God’s love today!!