Awakening

Some people wake up quickly. The alarm rings and they leap out of bed. They go from sleeping to waking in just a few seconds – and they’re off. They want to get on with the day as thoughts and fresh ideas abound in their mind. They are quick wakers.

Others wake up slowly. It takes time for them to come round. A decent cup of tea or strong coffee is definitely needed. A blast from a power shower helps get the mind and body going. Don’t try to have an important conversation with them for a while as they will struggle. They are slow wakers.

The thing is, by 9.30am you’ll find the quick wakers and the slow wakers both in the office at their desks working well, and you won’t be able to tell the difference. You will only know if they tell you their story of the last hour or two. Then you’ll know who are the quick wakers and who are the slow ones.

I am a quick waker. Sam, my wife, is a slow waker. Maybe I’m just slow on the uptake, but it took me about a year of marriage to work this out! I couldn’t understand why she struggled to talk first thing, or wanted space to come round. And then it dawned on me that we wake up differently. Now, after nearly 22 years or marriage, we understand each other a bit better!

What about you? What kind of waker are you? Quick? Or slow?

I awoke this morning thinking about fast and slow wakers. And then the Scripture Ephesians 5:14 came to mind: ‘Wake up sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you’. I’ve been using this bible verse as part of my praying for the North of England for a couple of years now. It’s about waking. Because that’s what the North needs – an awakening to the amazing Message of Jesus Christ. And many of us are working and praying for just this thing. That those who are presently asleep regarding the good news will wake up, and that in the coming days we will see thousand and thousands of people in the villages, towns and cities of the North spiritually awakened as the Lord pours out his Spirit afresh across the North. That’s what we need – an awakening!

But whether it is quick or slow doesn’t matter. In some places, and with certain people it will be slow. Because in the same way that there are quick and slow wakers in the morning, so it’s the same when coming to Christ. Some find faith quickly. And for others it takes time. The important thing is that we are fully awake, so we can enjoy the new day that Christ brings.

So whether it’s quick or slow, pray with me for awakening in the North. Because there is a new sunny day ahead in God’s kingdom that no-one should miss.