A Cry in the Night, ReRun, Ditto, Again...and Still

Someone asked me if my trip was uneventful. I flew out yesterday, arriving last evening. I am on a  ministry trip. Are flights ever uneventful anymore? I am not sure. And I am not even ready to describe my 1 and 1/2 days away from home yet. I speak tomorrow evening and am really trying to focus. However, today, in the midst of an unbelievable 'computer storm', I was reminded of this little article I wrote a couple years back. Some ReRuns are just worth rerunning! What can I say? I hope you enjoy this one (or re-enjoy it), and remember on this memorial day: Our God truly never slumbers, and no matter where you are, He is there when we cry out to Him...in the day or in the night!

I have often wondered what it would take to get my husband to wake up in the night. Last night, I discovered that it will take more than a three inch glass bottle shattering on a tile floor, twenty feet from his pillow, a low decimal scream from his wife, watermelon ice nail polish plastering the bathroom, deep heart sobs (his wife's sobs), tears splashing (his wife's tears) in puddles, cupboard doors shutting, and furniture moving! Oh yeah! Much more!

And in case you think that this is a slight over dramatization of a minuscule moment of life…It is not! You can try it with your own nail polish; preferably a red tone.

It was about 10:30 p.m. I had scrubbed and cleaned all day to get ready for my out of town guest, and our family Fourth of July celebration. Before going to bed, I remembered that I hadn't paid the bills on line, so I quickly sat down to take care of those details. When my eyes were sliding somewhere into Sandman's land, I figured that I should probably go to bed. After washing my face and doing the required anti-aging regiments, I turned off the light and started out of the bathroom. That is when it happened. I wish that I could describe this picture as distinctly as it decorated the wall. You see, there were three bottles of nail polish there: white, clear, and watermelon ice. Only one fell. Watermelon ice! Get the picture?

I made several discoveries that night:

• A three inch bottle of watermelon ice nail polish holds enough polish to plaster a bathroom wall brightly painted with Behr lemon ice paint, the side of the tub, the front of the toilet, the white molding, and one entire left foot. And also have enough left to destroy a small white stand.

• The colors watermelon ice and lemon ice really go nicely together. I would suggest a Capri outfit rather than a wall.

• A three inch glass bottle free falling from a small three-foot stand, on a ceramic tile floor will make a dustpan full of crushed glass.

• You should always keep more than a capful of nail polish remover on hand. A capful drained from the bottom of the bottle will saturate only two cotton balls and will have virtually no effect on a watermelon ice storm.

• We really do not live in “the perfect world of Walgreen” and watermelon ice nail polish will dry thoroughly on all the above surfaces before one can get to a 24 hour Walmart to buy nail polish remover.

• The salt in tears, also, will have virtually no effect on the storm.

• Thank God! Awesome cleanser and oven cleaner does! (If that is what you happen to have in the house.)

• A watermelon ice storm of this magnitude takes approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes and tons of elbow grease to pass.

• My husband sleeps well through these types of storms.

• But hallelujah! My God never slumbers or sleeps. My God hears me!

I was extremely exhausted when I made these discoveries. My not so young, weary body collapsed dutifully to my knees in an immediate response to the disaster. Pain shot through my knees. (Oh, and glass pressed in them.) My arms and my back ached with the scrubbing movement. Fear gripped me. What if it doesn't clean up? Loneliness sunk in as I fought off Mr. Pity Party. I wanted to wake my husband up, but somehow I knew that in one small room, it takes just one person to clean up the mess. And I knew my husband would say, “What can I do?” And then he would laugh and say “That will teach you to put your nail polish away.” (And that is exactly what he said in the morning, when I told him about the storm.)

In the night, on my knees in my tears, I cried out to God! And He was already awake! He heard me. He strengthened my weary body, and gave me creative ability. It became a challenge. I found out what worked for tile, for painted walls, and for grout! The more I cleaned up, the more I worked to clean up the next spot. I laughed victoriously. Only the small white stand looks weathered. But I just turned it around to put the iced part against the wall. Not one drop of polish hit my stack of bright yellow and orange towels. Not one drop got on my clothes. You could not tell there was a storm in the bathroom except for a slight chemical odor…lasting only 3 days!

It was about 1:30 a.m. when I slid in beside my peacefully sleeping husband. He had not even felt a slight wind or wave of the storm that just about wiped out his house and his wife. Oh well. It was my colorful storm. It was also my calm assurance. It was my victory. And it was a blessed assurance that My God truly never slumbers or sleeps. My God hears my cries in the night. My God comes and strengthens me and enables me. My God causes me to triumph.

“O Lord, my God, I call for help by day; I cry out in the night before thee.” Ps. 88:1

Yes, in hind sight, my watermelon ice storm was just a minuscule moment in life. There have been, and will be much bigger storms. But this I know! He will always hear our cries in the night.

“Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, that my soul may praise thee and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to thee forever.” Ps. 30:11-12