Recently my family and I had to deal with one of life's little eruptions. It is called when bad things happen to good people. My 83 year old mother (a good women) took a fall breaking a hip, which required surgery. Because she had medication complications, I spent 36 hours without one minute of sleep.
I observed a life fully awake. The sun came up each day, and the sun went down, but I stayed up. I experienced light and dark; light was better, just saying!
People act different in the light! Yet in the midst of darkness light can shine forth ... If you turn it on! And trust me by the time the midnight hour comes, you have to choose to turn it on!
During this awake period the body shows forth a strength that is not natural. To live fully awake is supernatural, requiring an infusion of God's finest abilities. Anyone who desires can lean in to Him for it.
I am a leaner!
I once taught a lesson from the Song of Solomon 8:5 speaking of one who makes her way by a continuous leaning on her beloved. Knox's translation reads like this: " who is this that makes her way up by the desert road, all gaily clad, leaning upon the arm of her true love?" It speaks of leaning into the stronger one; the greater one! The leaning not out of necessity, but out of love. Love which was, is and always will be...the greatest of all.
As I shared the message from the Song of Solomon, it was received well, however, someone later indirectly voiced against 'leaning' as if they were too strong to lean. You know the type, the ones who can't lean, but they break down when something goes wrong; the ones who like to be the center of attention; the ones who want personal glory and can't applaud another for the good they do."
Well, the Glory isn't ours, it is the Lords ... So I lean! But as a 'leaner' one does not lean to the flesh as a co dependent, or to substance as an addict. They must lean into the right source. That source is Jesus, the authors and finisher of faith. Holding fast in faith with the Holy Spirit Helper. The unseen strength of my life. My deepest love. My greatest joy.
Life can get messy. Roads treacherous and darkness is a reality. But so is the ability to shine and dispel those dark messy days.
The fully awake believer will always see the silver lining on the cloud that tries to darken a day, they will see the potential behind the mess. Then they will lean! They will joyfully lean in faith, to unfailing love with His strength and ability.
The foundation for every awakened believer has been laid out in the scriptures. The Holy Spirit has been gifted to us by Jesus, not only as a teacher of divine informative, inspirational words of life, but as a comforter, helper, counselor, advocate, intercessor, and standby!
Leaners have extended spirit eyes from which to see all things, and a helper in every situation.
The thing about the 36 hour no sleep experience (let's call it an adventure), revealed some things to me. At the 12 hour no sleep mark, you have to press to stay focused and alert, by the 24 hour mark, you have to simply walk it out (I mean literally WALK it out). Coming upon the rising sun of the 26 hour mark, you seem to gain a second wind. When you hit the 36 hour mark, you wonder if you will ever sleep again...eyes wide open, adrenaline flowing, and the speech center seems to kick in to high gear (don't believe me ask the ear). The ear in my case happened to be my dear sister in law, Chris. God bless her! To Chris and all the real ears out there ... Thank you!
Notice I said the 'real' ears. The ones that really listen. Some people just claim to listen. You will know the difference. So don't bother talking to those who are so self involved they fly away and never connect in the moment. A true ear is normally not noticed or mentioned often. They just sort of hinge on and hang out.
Have you ever wondered, how many people ever come up to anyone and say, "Wow, you have the most beautiful ears." Even when we adorn them with jewels ... People seem to praise the jewels vs the ears they are adorning. Well, Hear this, "Ears you are beautiful and appreciated". There, I said it! Now believe it and receive! And for all of you many hats people (the ones who like positions, power and attention at everyone else's expense)...if it weren't for the ears you would be blind ... Because your hats would blind you if the ears didn't hold them up. Selah!
We are each members of a body ... none irreplaceable in service, but never replaceable in person or value. God created us unique and valuable, yet replaceable in service. That keeps us both beautiful and humble! And for someone to try to stand in a place they are not called and equipped to ... Is a disaster ready to happen.
I have been observing many things over the past few weeks. Mostly people and the way they are or ... aren't. It pays to look closely. Things are not always as they seem. People are not always who they appear to be, and the deeper realm reaches out to reveal truth. I am glad I have the Holy Spirit as my helper in all things. Life is good when you walk with a friend called 'Holy Spirit'.
Those who live the fully awake life of a leaner, can share with you insights from unseen realms. Some of those insights aren't pleasantries, but powerful information for strategic information for victorious living.
Successful pray-ers (watchers) will see and know many things before they can invade a territory. They will also see good on the horizons and proclaim it joyfully, as they keep one eye open for adversity in the wings. And no matter how many storms are raging around them, they don't close their eyes, instead they call upon Spirit eyes that they might see and pray from strategically.
Watchers ... Yes they must be leaners. They cannot afford to sleep or slumber. They don't play games with spirit truths. They are serious about leaning in to the heart of God for details in both warnings and joyful proclamations. They care about what matters to God. They are diligent to look into His Word and search it for answers and directions in every situation and adversity.
Pray-ers respect God and love people. They are not men pleasers. They are not into favors or favorites. They are not respecters of persons even in close relations, right is right, wrong is wrong and love is unconditional. They are leaners ... They lean in to the Word of God and pray according to His will. They lean an ear to the Holy Spirit who is characterized by: love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
So Awake, pray-ers! Lean in and pray out God's plan. Don't grow weary in this awakened life of prayer. Press in, walk it out, catch your second wind ... The wind of te Spirit and you will never want to sleep again!
