On a recent week day morning, I was alone in the house and enjoying a cup of coffee and reading the local newspaper. Marley, our English Springer Spaniel, was blissfully sleeping beside me on the couch. We have long since given up any pretence of keeping her off the leather furniture. Her nose, as is her habit, was close to my leg, just in case I may decide to scratch her ears. Her breathing was deep and very regular.
I was startled by a distinct rapping sound coming from what seemed to be from above the ceiling. My first thought, like everyone who owns a home in the country, was that I had a new tenant in the attic that was due for a troublesome and perhaps protracted eviction. I was relieved when I saw tail feathers dip below the top of the window and realized that we had a very large, and admittedly not too bright woodpecker, working on the wood facia of the eaves.
I was very surprised at Marley’s reaction, or lack thereof, to the annoying noise. Normally the tap, tap, tap of a woodpecker in the wild or even on the television sound track will send her into a frenzy of running and barking. What I witnessed entertained me over the next few minutes. First one of her large brown eyes opened up, then the other, ever so slowly. Next to move on our very sleepy dog was her right ear. It lifted ever so carefully and slowly as did the left ear as the bothersome noise continued. Finally, and with great reluctance, she lifted her head up high enough to try to get a glimpse of this new threat. Her tail next moved from its normally relaxed state to a downward position tucked next to her body. Slowly she began to growl as her body tensed up to spring on the enemy. All of a sudden, she was fully awake and jumped to the floor in a frenzy of barking and attempting to lead me to the door so that she could do her job and rid the world of this pesky woodpecker. Marley did her job admirably well. We haven’t seen the woodpecker near the house since that day.
Her uncharacteristic long and protracted reluctance to fully wake up and do what God intended her to do reminded me of a verse I recently read in the Book of Romans.
11 ¶ And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. (Romans 13:11)
We are currently enjoying a period of grace; a time granted by the Lord so that many more will have the opportunity to hear the gospel, become believers and get saved. We have no idea when this grace period will be ended with the return of Jesus Christ. This verse tells us it is high time we woke up and understood the shortness of time. We must become spiritually alert, foster our own salvation and indeed speak the gospel truths as often as possible so that others may realize their own salvation.
Are you awake, alert and ready for the return of the Lord?
(Comments, corrections, suggestions or rebuttals are welcome. My email link is contained in “About me: view my complete profile” to the right of this page or use the comment section below which requires that you have a Google account.)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I continue to enjoy your blogs dad! What a blessing you have been to so many. Please keep them coming!
ReplyDeleteJeremy
It is refreshing to know that some continue to await the Lord's return. There has been over the years a number of cycles where the rapture was front and centre and at other times is nearly never spoken of. There was a huge interest in the mid-seventies (along with a revival of the church) which was shortly after I had become a believer. Then again in the early 90's when Rob Linstead was in demand by the assemblies, and perhaps most recently with the publication of the Left Behind series. However, may we always be mindful that we should have our lamps trimmed and at the ready for the bridegroom comes to takes his bride home to glory. Maranatha!
ReplyDelete