Things that go bump in the night

July 7, 2012
 
Good Morning!  (Yawn)  I've been up since 4am.  On our way home from Waco late yesterday afternoon, the wind picked up and it started raining.  I was so excited because it meant that I wouldn't need to haul hoses to water my gardens.  I sat outside for a bit watching the rain come down ... the air was filled with scents of rosemary, thyme, and mint as rain drops kissed my herb garden.  I walked inside with a smile on my face and thought I would read awhile and watch a bit of television.

I don't know about you, but if I lay down in bed to read or watch television, it isn't long before I am asleep.  I'm not sure exactly what time it was, but I heard a loud crack and thud.  I wasn't exactly sure what happened but a loud bump in the night woke me and I called for Michael.  He went outside and, sure enough, a huge branch had fallen off the old tree in the center of the lower garden.  He said he couldn't see much in the dark and rain but that it looked like it was one of the larger branches.  The good news was that it hadn't fallen on the house.  The bad news would need to wait til morning.

I got up at 4 to see if I could see anything ... nope.  I made coffee and did some praying and went out at 5am to see if I could see anything ... nope.  Toby and Sadie heard me up and decided it was time for their breakfast.  I sat outside on the patio while they ate.  Gradually, the shadows began to take shape and I could see more.  The odd part is that the main part of the branch fell between the bistro table and two flower pots with smaller branches spreading out into the garden.  It smashed one chair to smitherines and knocked over the bird bath.  Other than that, damage is minor ... just a lot of clean up.

As I stared at the tangled branches, I had a flashback of the early morning storm last August while I was staying at my brother's home in Minnesota.  The damage on his farm was on a much larger scale but the sound of wind, rain, thuds, and bumps in the night were the same.  I was grateful that our clean up will consist of a large branch not the whole tree.  Think my brother could run down to Texas with his chain saw?!  We have more big branches that need to come down before they fall down ... one is over my neighbor's garage.  I'm sure Betty heard the thud and wondered... 

I had another flashback as well.  I could see myself as a very small toddler in my room at 205 North Franklin Street ... I had Teddy with me and was frightened of a noise coming from my closet.  I screamed for my dad.  He came up the stairs and I told him that I was sure there was a scary bear in my closet.  He walked into my closet with a flashlight and said, "No, no bear."  By this time, I was crying and sure that someone or something was hiding in there.  My dad was a man of few words and began taking everything out of my closet.  He lifted me from my perch on my bed and took me to the closet ... "See, nothing."  Even that didn't satisfy me because I heard something in there.  He sat me back on my bed and said, "Go to sleep."  I was awake for a very long time praying that God would save me from the bump in the night!  The next day, a mouse trap was set in my closet and it wasn't long before we caught the culprit.  205 North Franklin was an old house even in the 1940's lending to lots of mice seeking warmth from the cold of the winters!!

I must confess something ... once the old tapes in my mind were destroyed, there has been room for good tapes.  The bump in the night with my dad playing my knight in shining armor is a good tape.  No yelling, no screaming, no chastising ... just plain love between a dad and his frightened daughter.  There was something else I learned ... humans can only do so much, real peace and security come from my Heavenly Father.

Reality takes many forms.  For such a long time, I buried what was real and swearing that I had the best family ever which was my reality.  If that was true, then why did I behave the way I did?  It took lots of digging, lots of reality checks, and lots of good counseling to get to a place where I could digest the bad and regurgitate it leaving room for good.  If you're reading this, let me emphasize that you MUST fill the void with good or the bad will come back to destroy.  Whenever a not so good tape plays, I take my thoughts captive and examine them.  Is it something new that I need to deal with?  If yes, I start writing and connecting the dots.  If no, I consciously let the thought go and immediately sing a Christian hymn ... one of my favorites for this is:

Onward Christian Soldiers

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
with the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
forward into battle see his banners go!
Refrain:
Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
with the cross of Jesus going on before.

2. At the sign of triumph Satan's host doth flee;
on then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell's foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
brothers, lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.
(Refrain)

3. Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
one in hope and doctrine, one in charity.
(Refrain)

4. Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
but the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never gainst that church prevail;
we have Christ's own promise, and that cannot fail.
(Refrain)

5. Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ the King,
this through countless ages men and angels sing.
(Refrain)

Don't you think that old hymn is appropriate for a time when we are doing battle with the evil one?  I did a UTube search on it and just melted listening to the music.  Such comfort ... such peace knowing that as long as I have Christ on my side, I'm going to be okay.

I hope and pray that your night was a peaceful one without any bumps in the night to wake you.  Until we meet again, know that you are loved and prayed for ... YA YOU!!

Miss Dottie