Fragments

 I wake slowly, the heaviness of the blankets that kept me safe and warm now feeling cumbersome. My eyes adjust to the darkness, seeking the sliver of light from a curtain not quite closed all the way. Before I have even sat up, I am aware that I was having quite a vivid dream, one full of details and emotions. But before my feet touch the floor, the dream has already begun to dissipate, leaving only fragments that puzzle me as I work to piece it together. Over a steaming mug of coffee, I try to recall it all, but the fragments are slipping away fast, and I finally resign myself that it's just another dream I can't remember.

I glance over at my end table where my Bible sits. How often does my time in scripture result in the same experience? I think I am present as I read God's Word but when I close the book and walk away, what stays with me? How quickly the words fade from my memory, telling me I was not as present as I thought I was. Only fragments remain. 

Yet, there are verses that have imprinted on my heart, learned in childhood, reassuring me that God's Word does not return void. "The grass withers and flowers fade but the Word of our God will stand forever." Isaiah 40:8 

This is why God commanded in Joshua 1:8 "Study this Book of Law continually. Meditate on it day and night, so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it." 

And in Colossians 1 we read how prayers for spiritual wisdom are ours for the asking! So, I am encouraged. I may not recall my dreams, but I can ask for retention of God's Word. Even better, His word is there to dive into and be refreshed when my mind has only fragments.