Satisfaction (Justine Bateman, Liam Neeson, 1988)

"Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always." (1 Chronicles 16:10-11)

I've spent countless hours in prayer asking God for things: more of this, more of that, less of this... But, right now I'm wondering how many hours I've spent asking God for the only thing that never passes away: Him!

I know God does not withhold Himself from me. However, to walk in the power of His presence, I must seek His will, ways, and voice in my life daily. I must die to myself and allow Him to increase in me. It's not that He's not there. It's that sometimes I don't acknowledge He's there.

Lately, I've found myself dwelling on many things that do not really matter. They are things that can never ultimately satisfy me. They are distractions. Even some of the good things I want can distract me from the main thing: Jesus and Him crucified.

So, today, instead of asking for more stuff...more blessings...I'm asking God for more of Him! I am asking Him to be so manifest and powerful in my life that I forget all the "stuff" and just bask in the contentment of knowing and belonging to an eternal, living, and loving God! After all, no thing God gives can truly satisfy me. Once I have it, I'm on to the next biggest and greatest thing. But...Jesus...there's no other God like Him. He alone can satisfy all my soul's desires.

Midnight Madness (Michael J. Fox, 1980)

Lastnight, my son woke up at least five times between 10 pm and midnight. I don't know what the problem was. He didn't seem to be sick or in pain. Initially, I was not a happy camper. Afterall, Sassy's "me time" usually occurs then. But, when I checked on him, he reached for me and kissed my cheek in the dark. It was the sweetest little touch. So, I held him, rocked him, sang him a song, and laid him down. Of course, he was screaming 10 minutes later. I'm sure the sleep Nazis would kill me for this. But, I stopped fighting it, and brought him to my office. I held him while finishing up a website. After all, how many more opportunities will I have to just cuddle him in the middle of the night? I guess that was all he wanted because when I laid him down this time, he went to sleep for the rest of the night.

It was a sweet sweet time. I could have been my normally cranky self (as I like to be when things interrupt my schedule). But, instead, I just enjoyed the moment and I think we both slept better because of it. So, the next time you're thrown a curve ball, relax, take a breath, and try to find something good in it. It may be one of those midnight blessings in disguise.