Sparkling for my King

The darkest, coldest moment of the day is an hour before dawn, when the moonlight has set, starlight has faded, and the sun has yet to lift its sleepy head.  This time embodies the rawest tone of black that I know.  Neither twilight or dawn, it floats in a nebulous world of its own.  So sacred is this moment, that even friends of the night hush in respect and shadows cease to exist.  Any disturbance of such solemn darkness would be a transgression of nature. And, there I was, in the midst of it all.  As if it couldn’t get any darker, I was cloaked in a dark canopy of a forest, suspended at an elevation of 10,000 feet, miles away from any civilization that attempts to combat the tenacity of this darkness with street lamps and glowing fluorescent signs.  And, somehow, I found myself breathing and moving through this blackness.  The reason that summoned me out of my net of comfort and safety into this remote inky twilight zone was the lofty missio...

I can just see it right now.  Little me, standing at the gates of heaven.  Knowing me, I will be setting up the perfect camera angle and metering the lighting of the gates to officially record the completion of Life Goal #1 (yes, people, they don’t go in order): Be a life-long follower of Jesus.  Or, my lengthy list of life goals might just melt in a puddle at my feet with all that celestial glory.  Probably the latter.     I have always been a goal-oriented individual, hence my ever-growing list of two hundred and seventy-one life goals.  It gives me focus, direction, and dreams...lots of dreams.  So, in anticipation of that day when time stops and all the universe bows down and I find myself drawing a complete blank, I penned a little note to hand to Jesus at the gate.  It will probably end up replacing my camera.   This will be my answer, when He asks why He should let me in: My Lord, you should not, for there is no reason ...