Sleepless

First off, let me say that as a general rule, I do not like being woken up at 3:30am and then having to stay up from 4:30am on with a baby. However, there are times when these rare and annoying occurances give a little something that makes me go "maybe *this* is why I was supposed to wake up this morning".

So wee baby boy decided to wake up this morning and not settle back down. As I stand in the kitchen holding him, noticing how lovely he looks at this time of day, feeling the cool of his cheeks and his chewed-on-damp fingers holding my neck, wishing I had remembered to buy milk for the cup of tea that would taste really good right about then, I notice how brightly lit my house is for 4:30am in the beginning of fall. I make the assumption that the back yard is light enough that I could read a book at the patio table (if I wasn't afraid of dewy spider webs and earwigs).

So I try to look at the moon thinking I would like to see a nice bright full moon. But I can't find it out the window. It must be directly over my house, or perhaps off to one side where I have no line of vision. And I marvel to myself just how brightly the moon is shining to light everything up like that.

Then I remember: the moon doesn't shine; it reflects the Sun. The lyrics of a Sara Groves song come to mind and I turn my admiration away from the moon and onto the Lord who is all brilliant and glorious.


You are the Sun shining down on everyone.
Light of the World giving light to everything I see.
Beauty so brilliant I can hardly take it in.
And everywhere you are is warmth and light.

I am the moon with no light of my own
Still you have made me to shine
And as I glow in this cold dark night
You know I can't be a light unless I turn my face to You.