Things that Go Thump
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. Psalm 4:8
Awakened abruptly out of peaceful sleep by the sound of a couple large clunks, I briefly open my eyes, thinking maybe I had dreamed it. I close my eyes again, sure it was nothing but dreamland clamor. Suddenly I feel Eric bolt rapidly out of bed and leave the bedroom. Now I’m fully awake, hairs bristling on the back of my neck. Did he hear the odd noise too? Why did he jump out of bed so quickly? A few moments later, he returns, looking for a flashlight.
“Did you hear that noise too?”
“Yeah, I heard something; it sounded like Abby threw a toy across the bathroom, but she’s not in there,” he mumbles groggily.
Now I am panicking. That is exactly what it sounded like. He had heard it too. We recently had our home broken into, robbed in full daylight. We had just left the house to go to an OB appointment, and a gang of kids, it appears, broke into the backyard and into the unlocked slider, taking both of our laptops, a modem, and a just-purchased portable DVD player. Is someone attempting to get into the house again? I’m beginning to shiver.
Now I am out of bed, too, and immediately into the girls’ bedroom. Window is shut and locked. Check. Girls are sound asleep and safely in their beds. Check. Back to our bedroom. Window is slightly open, but dowel is in the window. Check. I quickly think of other windows that may be ajar in the house. None come to mind. I try to remember if I locked the garage door before going to bed.
Eric is back in the bedroom, having found nothing leading to the sound, no evidence of burglary, no evidence of something falling over. Nothing. Now he’s looking for a blanket.
“Where are all of our blankets?”
“I washed them from camping; they’re on the dryer in the garage. Why do you want a blanket?” I ask him, concerned.
“I’m going to lie down on the couch. I can’t sleep anymore.”
I know it is also his protective instincts kicking in. Having no guard dog around the house, he’s it.
I lie awake, unable to find rest again. Too many thoughts are racing through my mind. What could that “clunk, clunk” have been? Could it have been a double-dream coincidence? What are the chances of that!
I begin to pray. This often is a last resort for me. It needs to be one of those “added-feature” reminder buttons on my Google homepage – “Pray first.” I’m like the disciples on the Lake of Galilee, tossed by the wind and waves in the middle of the storm, attempting to soup-can empty a hopelessly waterlogged vessel in a vain effort to stay afloat, coming to their sleeping Lord only after every avenue has been tried. That is me.
Lord, what was that sound? Will I ever know? I mentally add it to the growing list of questions I have for the Lord, for when I see Him someday, face to face.
Silence. Immediately a thought comes to mind, Go look in the shower. I remember the suction-cup hooks we have that occasionally lose their grip and pop to the floor of the shower, but only ever in the daytime.
I promptly make my way to the bathroom. Sure enough.
I walk to the living room to let the watchdog know all is okay. The suction cup is the culprit. We are safe.
But we always were.
Awakened abruptly out of peaceful sleep by the sound of a couple large clunks, I briefly open my eyes, thinking maybe I had dreamed it. I close my eyes again, sure it was nothing but dreamland clamor. Suddenly I feel Eric bolt rapidly out of bed and leave the bedroom. Now I’m fully awake, hairs bristling on the back of my neck. Did he hear the odd noise too? Why did he jump out of bed so quickly? A few moments later, he returns, looking for a flashlight.
“Did you hear that noise too?”
“Yeah, I heard something; it sounded like Abby threw a toy across the bathroom, but she’s not in there,” he mumbles groggily.
Now I am panicking. That is exactly what it sounded like. He had heard it too. We recently had our home broken into, robbed in full daylight. We had just left the house to go to an OB appointment, and a gang of kids, it appears, broke into the backyard and into the unlocked slider, taking both of our laptops, a modem, and a just-purchased portable DVD player. Is someone attempting to get into the house again? I’m beginning to shiver.
Now I am out of bed, too, and immediately into the girls’ bedroom. Window is shut and locked. Check. Girls are sound asleep and safely in their beds. Check. Back to our bedroom. Window is slightly open, but dowel is in the window. Check. I quickly think of other windows that may be ajar in the house. None come to mind. I try to remember if I locked the garage door before going to bed.
Eric is back in the bedroom, having found nothing leading to the sound, no evidence of burglary, no evidence of something falling over. Nothing. Now he’s looking for a blanket.
“Where are all of our blankets?”
“I washed them from camping; they’re on the dryer in the garage. Why do you want a blanket?” I ask him, concerned.
“I’m going to lie down on the couch. I can’t sleep anymore.”
I know it is also his protective instincts kicking in. Having no guard dog around the house, he’s it.
I lie awake, unable to find rest again. Too many thoughts are racing through my mind. What could that “clunk, clunk” have been? Could it have been a double-dream coincidence? What are the chances of that!
I begin to pray. This often is a last resort for me. It needs to be one of those “added-feature” reminder buttons on my Google homepage – “Pray first.” I’m like the disciples on the Lake of Galilee, tossed by the wind and waves in the middle of the storm, attempting to soup-can empty a hopelessly waterlogged vessel in a vain effort to stay afloat, coming to their sleeping Lord only after every avenue has been tried. That is me.
Lord, what was that sound? Will I ever know? I mentally add it to the growing list of questions I have for the Lord, for when I see Him someday, face to face.
Silence. Immediately a thought comes to mind, Go look in the shower. I remember the suction-cup hooks we have that occasionally lose their grip and pop to the floor of the shower, but only ever in the daytime.
I promptly make my way to the bathroom. Sure enough.
I walk to the living room to let the watchdog know all is okay. The suction cup is the culprit. We are safe.
But we always were.
Comments