I just came through a time of intense sleep deprivation. It was an answer to prayer.

Sure, some people pray for peace, for refreshment, for all things to go well.  I prayed for a heart tender toward new moms and moms of young children. That’s not the life I’ve been living and I’ll be speaking soon about seeking and hearing God through the busyness of life.  So I’ve  prayed that I can share with a sensitivity toward women who are right in the middle of God-ordained way-beyond-busy seasons of life. That I can offer wisdom that helps them to draw near to God when really what they crave is a little time to take a shower and get a good night’s sleep.

Yes, I prayed a dangerous prayer as I asked God for a heart tender toward women who are living a life different than mine. And, sure enough, God was faithful–He answered.  We serve an infinitely creative and wonderful God. A God who is full of surprises.Our lives today are living proof.

A week or so ago, really who knows how long–it’s all been a blur as I stumble from feeding to feeding to boiling baby bottles and nipples and lugging load after load of laundry to the washer. I’m sure my neighbors wonder what Kyle and I have been doing up with the kitchen light on at 3 am every night.  And why I’ve been seen cradling my coffee maker, begging it to brew faster when I’m not cradling–a kitten.

It started when I took our cat to the vet for a routine visit and overheard the ladies working the reception area discussing some little orphaned kittens that had been dropped off earlier. The local pound had informed them that if they took them they would just have to put them down since they were just too young for their workers to care for.

One of our cats is getting along in years so Kyle and I had been considering when to introduce a new kitten to our home.

Suddenly I found myself sashaying toward the counter and nonchalantly asked about these little orphans. The next thing I know I’m in the back room of the vet’s office staring into their fluffy little faces saying, “I’ll see what Kyle says. We may be by later to see if we’re interested in ONE of them. Operative word here: one.

Hours later we had two tiny kittens settled in our home. After a few days, one appeared near death in the wee hours of the morning. I pulled an all-nighter following the vet’s instructions and discovered that it’s not as easy to stay up all night as it was back in my college days.

Yes, this was an acquisition that made absolutely no sense.  It came with delirium and dark circles. It turned our lives completely up side down.

I had to laugh at an article that popped up on my email home page a few days ago:

The 10 Biggest Mistakes Pet Owners Make. Surprisingly , our pictures were NOT included with the article. It noted that the number one mistake was acting on spontaneity and not giving the proper consideration to all the implications of taking on a new pet (or, in our case, two!)

Still, my prayer for a special sensitivity and understanding of what it feels like suffer sleep deprivation, to have sore, red hands from rinsing and washing and rinsing, to have given up the freedom to come and go as I please–and to sit bright-eyed and eager each morning with my Bible smoothed open, ready to meet God while curled up–even showered–in my worn-out wingback chair. I’m better prepared to share how to seek God amidst the busyness of life.

Thank you, God, for answered prayers.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”          ~James 1:5~