I woke up this morning at 6:20. I looked at the clock. I honestly wasn't sure where I was supposed to be but I was quite certain that I was not supposed to still be in bed. I am almost never still in bed at 5:20 let alone 6:20.

Then it hit me ... I had breakfast scheduled with Dan at 6:30. Hmmmm ... Shave, shower, get dressed, and drive to Bob Evans in ten minutes. Wasn't going to happen.

In the midst of dashing about wildly, trying to keep my still groggy body from crashing into walls ... or the floor, I thought back to my college days when I would always schedule early morning classes. I just liked getting classes out of the way. "Who needs em?" I always figured. "Get classes out of the way early and then move on."

Fortunately I lived on a small campus. I got it down to the place where I could get up, shower, dress, and be to class in ten minutes. (I didn't have to shave every day back then.) How close could I come to that this morning?

Well, I figured I could skip shaving. I'd go for the macho look today. (heehee) I would move as quickly as possible. If I was lucky and didn't get behind any slowpokes, my drive to Bob Evans would be seven minutes.

Well, it took me about 15 minutes to get out the door. And the drive went pretty quickly. I texted Dan (I know -- not very safe) on the way to let him know what was up. I didn't want to call him just in case he was perhaps still at home ... I didn't want to wake his kids. Of course, Dan is ALWAYS on time so I should have known better than to think that was a possibility.

Anyway, he granted me grace and warmly welcome me when I arrived about 15 minutes late.

But my time this morning in which I'd hoped to pray and read and prepare for our meeting was gone. God worked through that though and my meeting with Dan was productive and good.

I felt God in this ... he wanted to bring me rest. Much needed and much welcomed rest.

I have not written about this on my blog yet though many good friends know about it. I am still not ready to write about it yet but Lisa and I are really searching for God right now. We're going through one of those uncertain, scary times that we all are bound to have now and then especially as we get older. God has shown up many times along the way ... continually in fact through the actions and thoughts and prayers of those who are walking through this with us.

But yet this process has involved a lot of waiting. And that has been frustrating. What has comforted me is knowing that God is probably frustrated by the waiting too. He may be doing great things during this time but I know that, if my son were in a similar situation, I would be frustrated by the waiting. God, I am certain, shares our frustration and our pain and worry during this time. He takes it all ... and the Holy Spirit working through God's people continually reminds us to give it to Him.

I will bring you all up to date on this later but for now, I am thanking God for the rest he provides ... and for the presence of a good friend who granted me grace so that I could have that unexpected but much need and much refreshing rest. Thanks Dan.