Night Ministry

I am growing more and more aware of the incredible opportunities that God opens up in the wee hours of the night (or more appropriately, morning). I have been spending time with God in our prayer room during my 4am shift, the anchor in an all night vigil that our team is doing on a daily basis. Through being awake and praying at this time in the morning, I am realizing that there are a lot of other people who are also active at this time. This morning at 3:30 am Tammy woke me up saying, "someone just came to the front door and rang the doorbell and then ran off!" She heard them walk up the sidewalk to the front steps and then the bell rang. When she got up to answer the door whoever it was ran off.

So, being the protective husband that I am I got dressed went downstairs and put on my flip flops to go out and investigate. As I walked out the back door (so I could sneak up on them -- to have the advantage of surprise)a guy came running into my backyard from next door! I don't think my garments are stained, but it scared the B-geebers out of me. In my half-asleep/awake stupor I managed to ask why he was in the backyard and told him that he needed to leave. My voice due to being extremely sleepy sounded several octaves lower than normal probably like I was a bit doped up or something...kind of like Andre the Giant as Fesick in The Princess Bride. It was the combo of tiredness and fear that gave me the deep (hopefully intimidating sound)voice.

Anyhoo...after that fright I walked around the front of the house to hear a woman say, "Where is my daughter!" I decided to stand close to the house to observe what was going on without being noticed. A young guy came walking down the street to meet her. The next thing that happened...two police cars and a police van came screeching down the street. Things seemed to calm down a bit when a canine unit came sniffing around the house...this was around 4am. Now this probably doesn't sound that weird...yes it does! The fact is that the night before I heard someone "scratching" around the front door at 4am and in the newspaper, The Cape Breton Post, a man was reported to be walking down our street (Brookland Street)weilding a sword. Thank goodness he was arrested! So, life is really interesting here and lots happens before 6am than many experience all day!

-Michael