I've often wondered why God invented night. I'm not particularly fond of it, and even when I was a teenager I never have been. Lots of crime, and Godly crime (aka "sin!") happens at night, because in the dark people often think no one, not even God, can see them. Dark and night go together, of course; it's always dark at night except in strange places like Alaska where the sun won't go down for days on end (and of course, to be fair, it stays dark for "days" too). Things go bump in the night, night vision goggles are useless in the daytime, and the living dead rise up to attack as zombies (well, at least in movies they do.)

When you're driving home and get a flat tire, it always seems to happen at night, the worst possible time. Speaking of driving, animals such as deer and skunks seem to prefer to step in front of you at night when you can't see them until it's too late, which probably shows they can't see in the dark any better than you can. After all, in the daylight they have sense enough to avoid those two ton smoking, smelly monsters that rush around constantly. Our power at the house always seems to go out, at least most of the time, at night. Why? Because some honking storm comes thrashing through, with thunder and lightning loud enough to wake the dead (so that's why they rise up to attack!). And when, of course, does it always seem the worst storms come through? At night.

When I grew up, the old Civil Defense air raid siren used to scream twice every night. Once at 10:00 and once at II :00. It still does. The people in my hometown decided that children should NOT be out and about past 10, and the rest of us should be home by 11, too. I can recall many times hearing of friends running around town after curfew and being picked up by the police. I once was out in my front yard and they came and shoo'd me inside!

When children get sick it always seems to be at night (ask Dave about Friday night!) There's never anything good on TV at night, just a bunch of infomercials and shows I often find so offensive I wouldn't let my dogs watch them! Shadows become sinister and scary, the wind moans, and the house (and stairs, and floorboards, and doors) only seem to creak on their own at night. We have these things called dreams that either amuse us or torment us. It's probably best that we just shut our eyes to the night and open them back up when it's allover, like I would do if my wife made me watch a scary movie, especially with flesh eating zombies in it.

Night, darkness, as I said they go together. Those who are lost will find themselves in endless darkness, while in heaven with God we know there is no night there. Paul tells us to be children of the day, no longer of the night. People are drunken in the night, and sleep. Jesus was betrayed at night. The rich man with the barns was taken from this world at night. No work can be done at night, in a spiritual sense, we are told by our Savior.

A few good things have happened in the night, though. Paul escaped in a basket over a wall. Jesus was born (I believe). Nicodemus came to Jesus. Joseph fled to Egypt with Mary and the baby Jesus. The apostles were freed from prison. Jesus walked on water. A Macedonian call was made. So it's not as if God is not with us at night. He's still there, protecting us and providing for us.

I often don't sleep well at night. Perhaps it's old age, perhaps it's because my son is at a very critical time in his life and occupies a lot of my thinking, I really don't know. I do know that I often find myself awake for hours, thinking and praying to be a better father, a better husband, a better Christian. Even in a spiritual night, when the devil would prefer I despair, and I have had some nights like those, too.

And sometimes, when I lay there awake in the darkness, I wonder why God invented night. [t has often occurred to me that night and day are not unrelated. We are to work in the day, but our work is over when the night comes. If we don't get a good night's rest, our day's work will suffer. Without night, I would simply work work work until I burned out. Daylight is wonderful, but night time makes us appreciate the day. Our God is wonderful, and darkness is a reminder of what it would be like without him. Oh how we hate injustices! So much the more we should love God!

God doesn't want an evil world of darkness. Yet, if you are a true Christian and your light is shining, at least take comfort in knowing that when the end comes you'll be easy to spot!

Randy