just woke up

it's 3:18pm in Sydney and I just woke up. I did wake up earlier but after wondering around and sitting on the internet for a bit, I went back to sleep. I said to the LORD as I first started dozing off 'Lord, I'm doing absolutely nothing today except sleep, wake up at 3pm and go to the gym, I know that sounds terrible but I just feel like sleeping and I'm not going to feel guilty about it'

Every now and then I could hear the phone ringing but not enough to wake me...until about 3pmish, the phone rang loud and clear and I automatically picked it up to find my man on the line. Apparently he has been ringing me. Just put the phone down and Claire rang. Sitting here now, just had my Uncle ring me to say he's coming out of hospital today!

I had so many missed calls on my mobile, one from a number I don't recognise (could have been Claire's work or Uncle's hospital number). You know the weird thing is I feel like with all those missed calls I spoke to everyone I was meant to speak to just after 3pm!!!

It reminded of something I learnt through my University days - the LORD honours people who are honest with him. It's almost like he says to me 'ok daughter, because you're being honest with me, I will pour my grace on you and get the people I want you to speak to just to ring back at 3pm.' (NOW THIS IS ME USING MY IMAGINATION, THE LORD DIDN'T ACTUALLY SAY THIS - WILL DO ANOTHER POST ON HOW THE LORD REALLY SPEAKS TO ME)

Now if that was someone else I know he would storm off in a huff and than deliberately wake me up in the morning to annoy me! And he has every right to do this, because he's sick of me being awake till 3am or later. But our thoughts are not the LORD's thoughts and his love for us is soOOOOoooo out of this world that he can pour grace on us when we deserve our butts smacked.

You know why? Cos he knows who we will be like in the end of our lives. He knows that I will be set free from my out of balance nite owl ways. Right now he's waiting for me to honour my part of the agreement - and go to the gym. And I will. Now if I didn't go to the gym...he might just have to discipline me.

When I spoke to Claire she said something like...you don't know when to go to bed. She's right. The LORD let me have my way, but she was the perfect example of the LORD...no pressure, just a simple statement of truth, no guilt. But I recognise it and know I have to change.

Can anyone see how different Satan works from the LORD???? Satan would be all about making me feel guilty. But the LORD is the exact opposite - he poured grace on me, made allowances for my weakness, and then spoke TRUTH to me. And instead of feeling condemned that I'm so crap - I realise that's the real problem not that I'm a nite owl, that's the way he made me, but that I just don't know when to go to bed! How cool is that, the LORD is so right and now I'm going to the gym with a great attitude. OUR GOD REIGNS SUPREME!!!!

ps thanks Ms Claire for perservering and ringing me still just to speak a simple word of truth into my life and you didn't even know you were doing it - that's God! Have an awesome trip and I look forward to reading a blog entry about your adventures!!!