Several years ago, my wife and I began to serve as foster parents for CPS. During that time, in the early hours of a Wednesday morning, probably around 1:00 or 2:00 AM, I jumped out of bed.
I realized I had overslept. I had been given the care of ten infants. They were from Abilene. They had all had extremely runny noses and were fretful, but they had finally managed to fall asleep. Exhausted, I had fallen asleep also.
Unfortunately, I had been terribly irresponsible; I realized I had not set an alarm!
Those babies were supposed to be back in Abilene by 10:00 PM—and I still had them! The mothers of those infants were going to be frantic!
After awaking, I made my way through the living room, but the babies were not there! I then hurried to the den. The babies were not there, either!
It was at this point that something like a fog started lifting from my brain. Gradually, I realized that I had been dreaming and sleepwalking. Yet, in that state between a deep sleep and complete alertness, a haze shrouded my mind.
I was active. My body was moving. But there was a disconnect between my mind, my body, and my soul. In reality, my gut (my emotional being) was directing my body more than my mind or my will were.
I think my state that night illustrates how many people live their lives. They live in a moral and spiritual fog.
Their minds and wills are disconnected from their bodies. However, their gut feelings are very much connected to their bodies. If they feel like doing something, they do it. Sadly, too often, they sleepwalk through life--and experience the consequences.
Jesus desires something different for us—bodies inhabited by the Holy Spirit with redeemed minds, working in harmony with God, and ultimately leading toward transformation. God yearns for us to have fully integrated minds, bodies, and spirits. One of my favorite passages goes like this:
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect (Rom. 12:1-2.)
Five Things I Think I Think (with a nod to Peter King for this idea)
1. I think that May is the busiest month of the year. With students working on final projects and preparing for Finals, the end of the school year parties, assemblies, banquets, and graduation--it is a crazy month. December is a close second.
2. I think the Mavericks will defeat Oklahoma City in six games, but I predict they will lose the first one. The layoff was beneficial for Dallas-essential, really considering their age-but it will take Dallas a game to get back in sync.
3. I saw a preview of COWBOYS & ALIENS during the Super Bowl. It looked to me like one of the silliest movies ever; I have no desire to see it. This probably signifies I will like it immensely and see it several times.
4. For anyone wanting to read more about our U. S. Presidents, who doesn’t have much time, I recommend THE AMERICAN PRESIDENTS SERIES, edited by the late Arthur M. Schlesinger. Each president is portrayed in a single volume, between 150 and 250 pages. I recently enjoyed listening to the audio version of the biography on Rutherford B. Hayes, written by Hans Trefousse.
5. Congratulations to my oldest child, Haleigh. This Saturday, she graduates from high school. Thanks for the memories. We’re proud of you!
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