Unwelcome Alarms

I need to go in reverse a little and write about the repeated warnings God’s been giving me. There were three dreams with the same message (see former entries in April and May), sandwiched by the two bookend encounters with a warning sign at Beaver Pond [The Little White Sign, July 06, and The Fallen Sign, May 07].


Then there was a real live experience that woke me sharply at 3am one night last week.

I had thrown some old bank papers and checkbooks into the fireplace before going to bed. (Why buy a shredder, when I have this huge stone feature in my living room?) I thought they had long turned to ashes when I finally shut out the lights and headed to bed at 2am. Unbeknownst to me, the thick dockets and bound records merely smoldered. The smoke crept gradually up the stairs to my bedroom while I slept and then set off all the alarms simultaneously. When I opened my eyes, the shrill beeping filled every room of the house!

I rushed downstairs to check the house, relieved that there was no fire where it shouldn’t be, but the smoke was burning my eyes and making me cough. (Okay, it didn't look anything like this photo, but this was the only good smoke picture I could put my hands on. I just wanted to get you thinking about the awful loathsomeness of gagging smoke.)


Trying to keep my hands over my ears, I ran around opening doors and windows to air the place out. I was hoping that a skunk or bat wouldn’t find these doors open and help themselves to come in.

But a bigger, more immediate concern overshadowed that momentary thought. How do you turn OFF these blooming alarms? Waving towels in front of them used to work whenever we had damp firewood, but this is the first time the upstairs alarms had ever been set off. They’re mounted on 12-15’ ceilings up there and I don’t have a ladder in the house that will reach any of them.

Oh Lord! Why did you wake me in the middle of the night? What am I supposed to learn from this? Do I have to call the fire department to get these things disengaged, I wondered. I muttered to myself as I went from room to room waving smoke out and fresh air in, hoping the alarms would clear.

I flashed back to nights when we were awakened by strange sounds or bad dreams. Frank and I would be up together scuttling around in our flip flops and holding flashlights. We would usually end up making jokes and making it fun. When rain would blow in the kids’ rooms at night, we would end up all together on the living room floor, giggling and snuggling together. Even in hard times, I remember it being so joyful when we were all together.

Now, it’s just me, and my heart’s pounding. I have to figure this out or I’ll never get back to sleep, and this doesn’t feel very fun! Lord, be my husband, please help me.

The alarms finally slowed down and stopped after about twenty piercing minutes. I closed all the doors and windows and shuffled back upstairs. Crawling back under the covers I thought, Phew! That was adrenalin-rushing, mind-blowing, ear-piercing excitement for the middle of the night. What on earth? Then, I started talking to Jesus about it.

Lord, I’m glad I have smoke and carbon alarms in the house, but I’m not happy when they all go off at once… especially not when I’m sleeping. This is really bad timing, Lord. Too bad it didn’t happen at a more convenient time, I whined. I really need some sleep!

Is there ever a good time for alarms to go off? the Lord whispered.

That’s when it hit me. Did God orchestrate this whole event just to amplify what He’s been trying to say all along?

We despise warnings. We don’t want to be roused from the comfort of our beds. Oh, if the whole house was engulfed in flames, I would have been grateful for that piercing sound, but not when it’s just for a smoky fireplace.


***

Perhaps this resembles the church mentality. The end times are coming, sure, but NOT YET! Not now! Why can’t we just continue on as we’ve always done in the warmth of our own homes and the comforts of familiar patterns? We still have our programs and new semesters and monthly bills to think about. We’re busy celebrating our birthdays and holidays and planning our retirement. Lord, don’t interfere with our plans. This is bad timing.

I want you to come, and I sure want to go to heaven, but not today Lord. I’m too busy. I'm too comfortable. Please don't rouse me from my bed.

Keith Green sang such powerful prophetic messages to this generation. His lyrics practically screamed to our hearts about the need to be real with Christ, practical in how we spend our lives and meet needs around us. We need to wake up!

Jesus came to your door, but you, you've left him out in the cold.

God bless you, be at peace, and all heaven just weeps!

Jesus rose from the dead, and you, you won't even get out of bed!

How can you be so dead when you've been so well fed?

How can you be so numb, not to care if they come?