Once In a Lifetime

last night as i was laying in bed falling asleep, i thought it would be cool to wake up just barely before the sunrise and go jogging in that seldom experienced time they call twilight. i asked mark what time he thought the sun came up these days, seeing how every time i wake up these days the sun is already up and on its way across the sky, and he said probably around 6 or 6:10. so, i set my alarm for 6:00 am and tried my best to fall asleep.

falling asleep was one thing, but staying asleep was quite another. you see, at around nine or so last night i ate a brownie cake thing with rich chocolate icing and crumbled up peanut butter cups. it was super yummy! that little piece of junk kept me tossing and turning into the wee hours of the morning. i kept looking at my clock wondering if it was time to wake up yet. 2 am.... 4 am... finally i fell asleep, and the next thing i knew, the alarm clock went off. mysteriously, i was tired. i rolled over and looked out the window, it was super bright outside! "oh no!" i thought, the sun was already up. a second look made me notice that there were no shadows, meaning the day was still in the last few moments of twilight. i rolled over again thinking, "i missed it. i'll just wake up earlier tomorrow."

as i lay there, the birds were "composing" like there was no tomorrow! i mean they were chirping their little hearts out! i was amazed! what in the world could they possibly have to chirp about so much. as i listened i realized, the birdies have figured out this little secret that take us small lifetimes to figure out! there really IS no tomorrow! there's only RIGHT NOW! in that moment, i decided to wake up and go jogging anyway, because everything is a once in a lifetime experience!

as i began on this little bike path thing behind marks house, i headed out of the neighborhoods and out into the open desert called bakersfield. i noticed that the reason it was so bright and yet there were still no shadows was because a layer of dense clouds were hugging the horizon way off in the distance and effectively postponing the sunrise about 30 minutes (just for me?)!

the sun finally came up as i crested a little hill on the way back, so at the end of my mini route, i climbed up a little hill nearby, found a rock, and sat down and watched the sun rise all the way. it was exceptional! i sat there praying and thinking, and i realized that all kinds of life rely on that sun for life, and yet, the trees, the flowers, the birds, they all don't stress out trying to make the sun come up! they probably don't even worry or even think about it!

"look at the birds. they don't plant or harvest or store food in barns,
because your heavenly father feeds them.
and you are far more valuable to him than any birds!
can all your worries add a single moment to your life?
and if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that,
what's the use of worrying over bigger things?"
Luke 12:24-26

those little birdies don't stress out about life. they don't think, "man where am i going to get my next meal?" life just comes to them, they are sustained by God. in lots of ways, God wants my life to be like this, physically and spiritually. i just have to learn to let go! surrender! give up on trying to control my life.

"So don't worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will bring it's own worries.
Today's trouble is enough for today."
Matthew 6:34

in other words, live like there is no tomorrow! because there is no tomorrow! only right now! this is my new motto: everything is a once in a lifetime experience!

thanks for the reminder little birdies! and thanks for the truth Father.