Crazy Cardinal Godwink

       Last weekend, my daughter Sara and I went to a Sweet Adelines concert in Atlanta, and stayed overnight in a hotel in South Carolina.  I took my Kindle, and was looking for something free or cheap to read before going to bed.  An e-book that caught my eye was called ""Confessions of a Prayer Slacker." I hate to admit that sometimes this title applies to me, so I downloaded it and started reading. The first page --the introduction -- started with this verse. "How long will you stay in bed, you slacker? When will you get up from your sleep?" Proverbs 6:9  The book reminded me of those church camp mornings many years ago when we started the day by going to a special place outside to have our morning devotions. I had some of the best quiet times sitting under at tree, all alone, early in the morning.  But life happens, and especially in the past few years -- with insomnia and work demands -- I have found it hard to find time for more than a quick prayer in the morning as I drive to school. But as I read this book, the author challenged the readers to faithfully meet with God every morning.  It sounded good -- and I was thinking about trying it -- sometime -- but not sure I would really get up early to do it.
        This is where the crazy bird comes in. I woke early the next morning to a thumping sound at my second story window. I didn't get up right away -- wondering who could be throwing something at my window. Once we locked Andrew out when he went to the car to get something, and he threw gravel at the window for quite a while before we realized that it was not the wind blowing a tree branch against the window. But no one else was with us this time, so I finally got up and went to the window in time to see this red flash.  It was a crazy cardinal, flying into my window again and again. I wondered if he was saying. "How long will you stay in bed, you slacker?"  So I got my Kindle out, read a little more of my book, then turned to the Bible that I also have downloaded. I spent some time reading, and praying -- and watching the bird -- and soon an hour had passed.  Sara was still asleep, so I went back to bed and slept a little more until the bird woke both of us up again.
        Since then, I have managed to get up a little earlier every morning to spend some quiet time with God before everyone gets up.  My Kindle lights up, so I don't even have to turn the lights on to read.  I am just starting, and honestly, some mornings I HAVE hit the snooze once -- but I think about the cardinal -- and the image of Jesus waiting for me to come and spend time with Him -- and I have started to look forward to the morning.  Once more I have found a Godwink in an unexpected place.  My friend Sherry wrote in her blog last week about God speaking through His creation -- also cardinals out her window -- but my crazy cardinal made sure I didn't miss this message!